J11 


dir 


i  (VS  I 

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THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

PRESENTED  BY 

PROF. CHARLES  A.  KOFOID  AND 
MRS.  PRUDENCE  W.  KOFOID 


A/ AT  SON 


A    MEMPHIAN'S 

TRIP  TO  EUROPE 

WITH  COOK'S  EDUCATIONAL  PARTY: 


TO  WHICH  IS  ADDED 


LETTERS  FROM  REVS.  T.  W.  HOOPER, 

A.    B.    WHIPPLE,    AND    C.    W.    GUSHING;    ALSO, 

LETTERS  FROM  SEVERAL  LADIES  AND 

GENTLEMEN  OF  THE  PARTY. 


BY  SAMUEL  WATSON. 


NASHVILLE,  TENN.  : 
SOUTHERN    METHODIST  PUBLISHING    HOUSE. 

PUBLISHED   FOR  THE   AUTHOR. 
1874. 


Q 


Entered,  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1874,  by 

SAMUEL  WATSON, 
in  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


DEDICATION. 


To  MB.   THOMAS   COOK,  ^Sn., 
Of  London,  to  whose  liberality  and  kindness  the 
Educational  Party  are  much  indebted  for  favors 
beyond  their  agreement,  this  Book  is 

Kespectfully  Dedicated  by 

THE  AUTHOR. 
(3) 


PREFACE. 


WHAT  !  Another  book  of  travels  ?  Yes  ;  and 
different  from  every  other  one  that  has  ever  been 
published. 

On  the  21st  of  June,  1873,  there  sailed  from  New 
York  the  steam-ships  Victoria  and  Canada,  with 
Cook's  Educational  Party,  composed  of  about  one 
hundred  and  seventy  persons,  from  over  twenty  dif- 
ferent States.  The  Victoria  was  bound  for  Glas- 
gow, Scotland,  the  Canada  for  Liverpool,  England. 
It  fell  to  my  lot  to  go  on  the  Canada,  leaving  one 
hour  after  the  Victoria. 

Having  been  solicited  by  the  editor  of  the  Memphis 
Avalanche  to  write  sketches  of  our  trip,  I  complied 
with  his  request,  writing  hastily,  as  I  only  could 
under  the  circumstances.  Having  been  requested 
by  many — in  whose  judgment  I  have  confidence — 
to  publish  them  in  book-form,  I  concluded  to  get 
the  letters  of  several  other  gentlemen,  who  wrote 
for  other  papers,  and  publish  them  all  together. 
They  are  from  prominent  ministers  of  the  Presby- 
terian, Baptist,  and  Methodist  Churches — and  some 
from  ladies — all  of  our  party,  though  belonging  to 

(5) 


6  PREFACE. 

different  sections,  into  which  we  divided  at  London. 
By  this  arrangement  we  saw  more  of  the  country, 
thus  giving  more  variety  and  interest  to  them.  The 
Presbyterians  can  see  what  the  Rev.  T.  W.  Hooper, 
of  Lynchburg,  Va.,  has  to  say  of  Europe ;  the 
Baptists  can  read  what  the  Eev.  A.  B.  Whipple,  of 
New  York,  says;  while  the  Methodists  can  read 
how  Rev.  C.  W.  Gushing,  of  Massachusetts,  tells 
what  he  saw.  The  writer  gives  a  running  sketch 
of  how  he  saw  things. 

These  gentlemen  are  presidents  of  institutions  of 
learning,  and  capable,  as  will  be  seen,  of  presenting 
what  came  under  their  observation  in  an  attractive, 
instructive,  and  entertaining  style. 

Since  my  return,  I  have,  from  very  extensive 
memoranda  taken  at  Rome,  and  Augustus  Hare's 
"  Walks  in  Rome,"  written  up  some  articles  on  the 
"Eternal  City."  These  will  come  in  at  their  proper 
place  with  the  entire  series,  so  that  there  will  be 
all  said  by  each  of  us  about  places  and  things  before 
we  leave  them.  It  has  been  our  intention  to  take 
the  reader  along  with  us,  and  let  him  see  things  as 
we  saw  them,  without  the  labor  and  expense  neces- 
sarily attending  such  a  trip. 

Hoping  that  those  who  follow  us  through  will  be 
amply  compensated  for  their  time,  and  learn  some- 
thing more  of  the  country,  places,  things,  and  people 
which  we  visited,  that  will  interest  them, 
I  am  truly  theirs, 

SAMUEL  WATSOX. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

PAGE 

A  Memphian's  trip  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  and 
London — An  ocean  voyage  —  England's  great  port — 
London  and  the  Shah  —  A  day  among  the  London 
churches,  and  amid  the  tombs  of  the  great  dead — Off 
for  the  Continent — Taking  a  look  at  London  .  .11 

CHAPTER  II. 

Letters  from  the  Kev.  T.  W.  Hooper.  1.  From  Lynchburg 
to  New  York.  2.  Life  on  the  ocean.  3.  Moville — Giant's 
Causeway — Glasgow.  4.  Edinburgh — Speech-making — 
Scott's  home 39 


CHAPTER  III. 

Letters  from  the  Key.  A.  B.  Whipple.  1.  Adieu — Victoria 
— Time  and  keeping  speed.  2.  Emerald  Isle — Cars — 
Dunluce  Castle — Origin  of  Giant's  Causeway.  3.  Clyde 
—  Ship-building  —  Glasgow  Cathedral  —  Monuments  — 
Trosachs.  4.  Edinburgh  —  Eoute  to  London  —  Hospi- 
tality— Adventures 56 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Letter  from  Miss  Itattie  Stanard — Route  to  New  York — 
Ship-life — Sabbath  services  —  How  time  is  kept  —  Lon- 
donderry —  Portrush— Dunluce  Castle— Adam  Clarke's 
monument 71 

(7) 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  Y. 

PAGE 

Letters  from  the  Rev.  C.  W.  Gushing — Scottish  preaching, 
etc. — Contrast  between  a  Sabbath  in  Edinburgh  and  in 
Cologne 78 

CHAPTER  VI. 

The  American  Educational  Party  in  Edinburgh — Com- 
mencement of  Cook's  tours — Speeches  by  Dr.  Donald- 
son, Rev.  T.  D.  Witherspoon,  Rev.  Professor  Gushing, 
Lord  Provost,  and  Mr.  Cook  .  .  .  .  .  .83 

CHAPTER  VII. 

A  trip  from  London  to  Antwerp — A  look  about  the  an- 
cient city — Sights  and  impressions  in  Belgium  and  Ger- 
many—  Experience  in  Brussels  and  Cologne  —  Habits 
and  occupation  of  the  people — The  great  Cathedral  and 
other  objects  of  interest — From  Cologne  to  Munich — 
The  Rhine  and  its  marvelous  beauties — How  railroads 
are  run  in  Germany — The  people  and  their  habits — A 
day  in  Mayence — Guttenberg's  statue — Munich  and  its 
attractions,  etc. — From  Munich  to  Vienna — Notes  by 
the  wayside — The  Austrian  capital  and  the  Exposition 
— Sights  and  improvements — Condition  of  the  people  of 
Europe  —  Something  for  Americans  to  think  about — 
Some  of  the  features  of  the  great  Exposition — Sights 
and  sight-seers 96 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Letters  from  the  Rev.  T.  W.  Hooper.  1.  Zurich — Luther — 
Calvin — Paintings — Statue  of  Bavaria.  2.  Vienna  Ex- 
position— Home  things..  3.  Tombs  of  royalty — Gather- 
ing rocks,  and  a  hasty  retreat.  4.  Down  the  Rhine — 
Cologne  Cathedral — St.  Ursula — Brussels  lace-factories.  125 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Letters 'from  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Whipple.  1.  Antwerp — Brus- 
sels— Carved  pulpit — Royal  palace — Parks — Museum — 
Cologne  Cathedral  —  Sunday.  2.  University  —  Rhine 
scenery — Castles — Villages — Mayence  —  Munich  —  Pal- 
ace of  the  king — Statue  of  Bavaria.  3.  Vienna  cordial- 
ity— Exposition  building 143 


CONTENTS.  9 

CHAPTEE  X. 

PAQB 

Letter  from  the  Eev.  C.  W.  Gushing.  Vienna — Churches 
— Exposition — Reflections  upon  them  ....  158 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Letter  from  Miss  Hattie  Stanard.  Munich — Vienna — 
Mayence — Down  the  Rhine — Cologne — Brussels  .  .  163 

CHAPTER  XII. 

"Beautiful  Venice" — An  Avalanche  correspondent  in  the 
City  of  the  Sea — From  Austria  to  Italy  —  Highly  ro- 
mantic scenery  —  Sights  and  impressions  in  Venice — 
The  art  galleries  and  and  the  royal  palace — Character- 
istics of  the  Italians  —  Among  the  gondoliers,  etc. — 
From  Venice  to  Florence — Observations  by  the  way- 
side—  The  ruins  and  beauties  of  Italy — The  Eternal 
City — What  a  Memphian  saw  in  Rome — Scenes  on  the 
banks  of  the  Tiber — The  great  Cathedral  — Statuary, 
paintings,  etc.  —  Capitol  statues  —  Hall  of  Emperors — 
Hall  of  illustrious  men  —  Historic  prison  —  Palaces  of 
Augustus,  Palatine,  Nero— Church  of  St.  Clement — The 
Forums  and  the  Coliseum — The  Catacombs — St.  Agnes 
— The  Santa  Scala— Roman  Funeral— The  Pantheon — 
St.  Peter's — The  Vatican — Sistine  Chapel— Michael  An- 
gelo — Leaving  the  city 171 

CHAPTEE  XIII. 

Letters  from  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Whipple.  1.  Description  of 
Venice — St.  Mark's  Church.  2.  Rome — History — First 
Basilica — Pantheon — Baths — Latin  Rome.  Letter  from 
the  Rev.  C.  W.  Gushing.  Professor  Wood — Palaces  of 
the  Cesars — Great  Circus — Baths — Coliseum — Palace  of 
Nero— Church  of  St.  Clement 222 


CHAPTEE  XIY. 

Switzerland — From  Rome  to  Geneva — Scenes  by  the  way- 
side— The  indescribable  splendor  of  the  Alps — On  the 
shores  of  Lake  Geneva — Picturesque  Switzerland — The 
watches  and  music-boxes  of  Geneva — Rambles  afoot — 
Beautiful  Berne  —  The  Swiss  love  of  home — Life  and 


10  CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

habits  of  the  Bernese— The  wonderful  clock  of  1191 — 
The  Lake  of  Geneva — Three  thousand  feet  high — The 
illuminated  falls  at  Interlachen  —  Seas  of  ice — The 
Bernese  Alps — Up  among  the  coolness  of  Switzerland 
in  August — Top  of  the  Alps — A  view  of  three  hundred 
miles  from  Eigi — One  of  Nature's  grandest  displays — 
Komantic  Switzerland — Impressions  of  the  most  inter- 
esting country  in  Europe — An  amusing  dinner-table 
experience — The  need  of  an  interpreter  —  Sketch  of 
Lucerne — William  Tell  —  A  mountain  railroad  —  Fare- 
well, Switzerland — Letters  from  the  Kev.  T.  W.  Hooper 
—Letter  from  the  Eev.  A.  B.  Whipple  .  .  .  .240 

CHAPTER  XV. 

"Paris  is  France" — Views  in  the  wicked,  beautiful  city — 
Strolls  in  historic  localities,  some  of  which  have  been 
baptized  in  the  blood  of  saint  and  sinner — Lingering  in 
Paris — Sight-seeing  in  the  finest  city  in  the  world — Ver- 
sailles and  its  antique  remains  of  royalty — The  Tuileries 
— Pantheon — St.  Cloud — Gobelin — Farewell  to  France 
— Back  in  London — Dr.  Cummings — Billingsgate — The 
Tower  —  The  docks  and  the  shipping — Letter  from  the 
Rev.  T.  W.  Hooper— Letter  from  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Whip- 
pie  278 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Loitering  in  London  —  Prince  Albert's  memorial  monu- 
ment— Description  of  its  beauties,  its  grandeur,  and  its 
sculpture — Letters  from  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Whipple — Let- 
ters from  the  Rev.  T.  W.  Hooper — Homeward  bound 
—  From  London  to  Edinburgh  —  Interesting  sights  in 
the  Scottish  capital — Castle  Rock  —  Burns' s  grave  — 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots — Dr.  Chalmers  —  Bunyan  —  The 
rolling  deep — Leaving  Glasgow,  the  prosperous  city  on 
the  Clyde — The  pleasures  and  misfortunes  of  a  life  of 
ten  days  on  the  ocean  wave  .  <.  .  .  .  303 


A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

LETTEE  1. 

Rev.  Samuel  Watson's  trip  from  New  York  to  Liverpool  and 
London — An  ocean  voyage — England's  great  port — London 
and  the  Shah. 

STEAMER  CANADA 
(Approaching  Queenstown,  Ireland"), 

July  2,  1873. 
ON  THE   BILLOWS. 

EDITOR  AVALANCHE  : — Having  promised  to  write 
you  "  semi-occasionally"  during  my  European  tour, 
I  drop  you  a  few  lines,  to  be  mailed  at  Queenstown. 

"We  left  N"ew  York  on  Saturday,  21st  of  June. 
The  weather  has  been  fine;  consequently  the  sea  has 
been  very  quiet,  except  on  last  Saturday,  when  we 
had  quite  a  gale  nearly  all  day.  It  was  the  grandest, 
the  most  sublime,  scene  I  ever  witnessed.  The  ocean 
seemed  to  rise  up  like  hills,  while  the  noble  ship 
rode  them  like  a  thing  of  life,  now  on  the  summit, 
then  in  the  valley  between,  playing  sad  havoc  with 
the  movables  on  board.  At  dinner  there  was  a  great 
deal  of  commotion,  not  only  among  the  dishes,  but 
the  people  were  tossed  to  and  fro,  to  the  amusement 
of  all  but  those  who  were  the  sufferers. 

There  is  much  less  danger  thaii  is  generally  sup- 
posed in  crossing  the  ocean.  Facts  and  figures  show 


12  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

that  there  are  fewer  lives  lost  at  sea,  in  proportion  to 
the  number  of  passengers,  than  by  any  other  mode  of 
traveling.  Take,  for  instance,  this  line,  the  "Na- 
tional." They  have  been  running  for  ten  years,  have 
twelve  ships,  have  carried  over  300,000  passengers, 
and  have  never  lost  a  ship  or  a  man.  The  Cunard 
line  has  been  in  operation  for  about  thirty  years,  and 
has  never  lost  a  passenger.  Where  can  such  safety 
be  found  on  any  of  our  thoroughfares  of  travel  ?  A 
trip  across  the  ocean,  with  a  calm  sea,  is  a  very  mo- 
notonous affair.  We  eat,  and  read,  and  sleep,  to  rise 
and  eat  and  read  again. 

By  the  way,  I  do  n't  fancy  the  English  style  of 
eating.  They  breakfast  at  8J,  lunch  at  12J,  dine  at 
4,  which  takes  one  hour  and  a  half,  tea  at  7.  Their 
roast  beef,  the  boast  of  the  Englishman,  has  too 
much  blood  remaining  in  it  for  me.  I  will  inclose 
a  bill  of  fare,  by  which  you  can  see  the  style  of  Eng- 
lish living  on  the  ocean.  I  would  greatly  prefer  a 
modification  of  quantity,  quality,  and  a  great  reduc- 
tion in  the  time  consumed  in  disposing  of  it.  But 
so  it  is,  in  "Rome,  we  must  do  as  Rome  does."  The 
most  exciting  time  we  have  had  has  been  when  a  large 
number  of  whales  were  seen.  They  spout  a  large 
stream  of  water  up  some  distance  in  the  air,  then 
throw  themselves  nearly  out  of  the  water,  and  seem- 
ing to  be  as  anxious  to  show  themselves  as  we  were 
to  see  them.  We  have  seen  the  sea-lions,  porpoises, 
etc.,  sporting  amid  the  ocean's  waves.  It  has  been 
quite  cold  for  several  days,  so  much  so  that  flannel 
and  winter  clothes  would  not  keep  us  warm  on  deck. 

I  am  pleasantly  located  near  "midship,"  close  to 
the  Captain's  room.  My  roorn-mates  are  Mr.  B.  A. 
Rogers,  of  Verona,  Miss.;  Capt.  John  Deering,  of 
Covington,  Tenn. ;  and  Mr.  A.  S.  Elliott,  of  Hunts- 
ville,  Ala.  Our  ship  is  about  400  feet  long,  40  wide, 
and  41  deep.  She  was  23  feet  under  water  when  we 
left  !N~ew  York,  but  she  is  somewhat  lighter  now,  as 


ON  THE  BILLOWS.  13 

we  consume  about  forty  tons  of  coal  per  day.  She 
has  the  compound  engine,  or,  more  properly,  two  en- 
gines— one  of  the  low,  the  other  high  pressure. 
This  is  a  most  important  discovery  for  steam  navi- 
gation. The  coal  now  consumed  by  this  recent  dis- 
covery is  only  about  one-third  of  what  it  was  by 
using  only  one  engine;  hence  the  expense  is  greatly 
reduced,  besides  giving  the  tonnage  for  freight  pre- 
viously required  for  coal.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that 
Americans  will  now  build  ocean  steamers  and  save 
to  our  country  some  of  the  countless  millions  paid 
to  other  nations  for  this  service.  Philadelphia  has 
commenced  two  lines  of  steam-ships  to  Liverpool, 
and  has  built  her  own  vessels.  The  success  of  the 
experiment  has  been  of  the  most  satisfactory  charac- 
ter. We  have  seen  quite  a  number  of  ships,  but 
not  near  enough  to  any  of  them  to  speak,  only  by 
the  "  signal  rocket"  sent  up,  which  is  a  nautical 
language  I  have  not  yet  learned. 

We  have  a  nice  lot  of  passengers,  representing 
several  nationalities  and  churches.  There  are  six 
ministers,  some  of  whom  will  go  with  us  through 
Europe.  We  have  had  services  both  Sabbaths,  the 
traveling  ministers  officiating. 

We  are  anxious  to  see  land  again.  To  be  out  on 
the  "ocean's  wave"  for  ten  or  twelve  days,  pent  up 
in  a  small  room,  to  sleep  in  a  berth  but  little  longer 
than  your  body,  is  not  calculated  to  impress  one  very 
favorably  with  a  sea-faring  life.  Our  trip  has  been 
a  very  pleasant  one  thus  far,  and  we  hope  to-morrow 
to  arrive  at  Liverpool,  the  great  "  Cottonopolis"  of 
the  world.  I  will,  from  time  to  time,  as  I  may  have 
opportunity,  dot  down  whatever  I  may  think  will 
interest  your  readers,  as  I  pass  on  from  place  to  place 
with  the  rapidity  indicated  by  the  inclosed  pro- 
gramme. 

P.  S. — We  are  now  sailing  along  the  Irish  coast, 
the  hills  of  "sweet  Ireland"  coming  down  to  the 


14  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

water's  edge,  and  saying  to  the  surging  waves,  Thug 
far  shalt  thou  come  and  no  farther.  There  was 
much  excitement  this  morning  when  the  steersman 
announced  land  in  sight.  We  all  rejoiced,  but  es- 
pecially those  who  had  been  long  absent  from  their 
native  land.  Their  joy  was  manifested  in  various 
ways.  We  will  soon  be  at  Queenstown,  where  this 
will  be  mailed.  We  expect  to  arrive  at  Liverpool 
to-morrow,  but  remain  till  next  day  for  the  daylight 
to  see  over  200  miles  of  merry  Old  England  to  Lon- 
don, from  whence  you  may  hear  from  me  again. 

ASHORE   AT   LAST. 

LIVERPOOL,  July  2,  1873. 

We  arrived  at  this  great  sea-port  yesterday,  having 
oeen  twelve  days  out  from  New  York.  Though  I 
wrote  you  yesterday  from  Queenstown,  I  will  drop 
you  a  few  lines  before  leaving  for  London,  which  we 
will  do  early  in  the  morning. 

It  is  said  that  the  trade  of  the  whole  world  con- 
centrates at  this,  the  largest  sea-port  on  the  globe. 
We  look  to  the  cotton  market  here  with  much  in- 
terest in  the  South. 

The  docks  are  the  most  costly  and  extensive  of 
any  in  the  world.  They  are  six  miles  in  extent, 
and  cost  from  eighty-five  to  one  hundred  millions 
of  dollars.  The  Sanden  docks  are  immense  ba- 
sins, like  those  in  the  navy-yards  of  Brooklyn  and 
Charleston,  for  the  floating  in  of  vessels  for  repairs, 
closing  and  pumping  out  till  the  hulls  are  left  dry 
for  the  workmen.  The  others  are  commercial  docks, 
rendered  necessary  from  the  immense  height  to  which 
the  tide  rises — it  being  from  18  to  30  feet.  These 
docks  are  constructed  out  of  Scotch  granite  and  iron. 
They  are  immense  canal  locks,  with  swinging  gates, 
closed  so  as  to  retain  the  water  and  keep  the  vessel 
afloat  while  discharging.  They  are  moved  by  ma- 


ASHORE  AT  LAST.  15 

chinery.     These  gates  are  never  allowed  to  be  open 
except  at  near  high  tide. 

There  are  to  be  seen  vessels  from  all  nations  lying 
in  dock — each  showing  its  nationality. 

The  weather  to-day  has  been  very  cold,  with  rain 
and  wind,  which  prevented  our  seeing  as  much  as  I 
desired  while  we  ascended  the  river  Mersey.  The 
rocky  headland  of  Holyhead  of  Wales,  with  its 
strange  clift  and  bridged  rock,  its  white  light-house, 
and  the  wonderful  breakwater  defending  the  harbor. 
Then  comes  the  Welsh  lands,  with  thrifty  farms, 
and  neat  farm-houses  and  windmills.  Behind  these 
the  fair  Welsh  mountains  rise,  the  Snowdon,  said 
to  be  the  highest  in  the  south-west  of  Great  Britain, 
but  they  looked  small  compared  to  the  mountains 
we  pass  over  coming  to  New  York.  Little  Welsh 
villages,  nestled  at  the  feet  of  these  highlands,  pre- 
sent a  beautiful  view.  Three  magnificent  steam-ships 
passed  near  us,  crowded  with  passengers  for  America. 
But  I  am  going  back  in  my  scrawl.  I  must  let  the 
ocean  trip  pass.  Though  it  has  been  a  pleasant  one, 
yet  I  never  wanted  to  close  up  one  so  much  as  I 
have  this,  my  first  ocean  voyage.  Long  will  I  re- 
member the  Canada  and  its  worthy  officers.  But 
other  things  crowd  upon  my  mind  on  terra  firma. 
Liverpool  has  been  in  a  state  of  excitement  about 
the  visit  of  the  Shah  of  Persia.  The  papers  are 
filled  with  accounts  of  his  visit  here.  It  is  said  he 
had  six  wives  with  him,  but  as  he  was  visiting  a  na- 
tion which  did  not  recognize  but  one,  he  only  took 
one  of  them  with  him  in  public. 

What  folly  this  man-worship  is!  I  am  glad  I  feel 
no  inclination  in  that  direction.  I  expect  to  see 
much  of  it  before  my  return,  but  I  have  no  idea  of 
imbibing  any  of  it,  either  politically  or  ecclesiasti- 
cally. 

The  buildings  for  some  distance  from  the  wharf 
are  large  and  fine,  and  those  over  the  city  generally 


16  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

are  three  stories  only,  and  look  rather  antiquated; 
but  there  are  some  magnificent  buildings  here — the 
largest  I  ever  saw.  Most  prominent  is  St.  George's 
Hall,  one  of  the  most  magnificent  structures  in  the 
world.  We  went  to  see  it;  and  here  is  the  largest 
organ  in  the  country.  In  front  of  it  stand  the  statues 
of  Queen  Victoria  and  Prince  Albert,  each  on  a  very 
large  horse.  On  the  former  is  this  inscription : 
"Erected  by  the  Corporation  of  Liverpool,  in  the 
thirty-fourth  year  of  her  reign."  Over  the  latter: 
uThis  statue  of  a  wise  and  good  prince  is  erected 
by  the  Corporation  of  Liverpool,  October,  1866. 
Albert,  Prince  Consort,  born  1819;  died  1861."  At 
the  north  end,  standing  on  a  high  column,  is  the 
statue  of  Wellington,  and  the  battles  he  fought  and 
won  engraved  on  the  base.  Inside  the  hall  are  the 
marble  statues  of  quite  a  number  of  England's  great 
men.  I  felt  the  most  interest  in  Sir  Robert  Peel 
and  Mr.  Gladstone.  We  have  hurried  over  the  city 
in  several  directions,  and  seen  most  of  it,  and  hasten 
to  take  the  train  for  London,  of  which  you  shall 
hear  by  and  by. 


LETTEE  2. 

Another  interesting  letter  from  Eev.  Samuel  Watson — A  day 
among  London  churches  and  amid  tombs  of  the  great  dead — 
Off  for  the  Continent. 

LONDON,  July  7,  1873. 

We  left  Liverpool  early  on  the  4th  for  this  city. 
For  many  miles  we  passed  through  what  is  properly 
called  the  "  manufacturing  district."  The  tall  chim- 
neys and  immense  buildings  which  could  be  seen  all 
over  the  country,  filled  with  machinery,  told  the 
secret  of  England's  greatness.  Those  nearest  Liver- 
pool, judging  from  the  number  of  cotton  bales  and 


IN  THE  GREAT  CITY.  17 

cotton  machinery  we  saw,  were  for  manufacturing 
cotton  goods.  Then  conies  a  broken  agricultural 
district,  after  which  silk,  hosiery,  and  other  manu- 
factories. 1  have  never  seen,  nor  will  I  ever  see 
again,  such  a  country  as  this.  All  the  way,  every 
spot  of  ground  showed  the  evidences  of  what  man 
had  done  for  it.  Cities,  towns,  villages,  gardens, 
meadows,  cut  up  in  all  sorts  of  shapes  and  sizes 
(except  large  ones),  divided  by  their  hawthorn 
hedges,  and  covered  with  herds  of  cattle,  sheep,  etc., 
defy  description.  I  shall  not  attempt  it.  Paradise, 
no  doubt,  was  more  lovely,  but  this  excels  any  thing 
I  have  ever  seen.  Our  conductor,  Mr.  Anderson, 
who  met  us  at  Liverpool,  was  born  here,  and  pointed 
out  many  places  of  interest.  None  more  so  than 
Derby,  where  Bunyan  was  born  and  imprisoned  for 
twelve  years,  and  where  the  "Pilgrim's  Progress" 
was  written. 

England  is  proverbial  for  showers.  It  happened 
that  as  we  were  landing  a  heavy  rain  came  on,  very 
much  to  the  discomfort  of  the  passengers,  who  had 
to  embark  on  another  boat  to  reach  the  shore.  I 
heard  a  remark  made  which  I  did  not  then  appre- 
ciate as  much  as  subsequently:  that  it  was  a  pity 
that  the  first  boat  for  that  purpose  had  not  been 
made  with  a  roof.  If  it  had  been,  all  of  them  would 
have  been  made  after  that  model. 

In  the  Great  City. — About  3  o'clock  we  arrived  at 
London,  walked  out  of  the  cars  (as  we  call  them,  but 
"carriages"  here),  in  the  rear  entrance  of  the  Midland 
Grand  Hotel.  It  is  the  largest,  and  when  completed, 
will  be  the  most  magnificent  hotel  I  ever  saw.  Dinner 
over,  we  go  to  Cook's,  Fleet  street,  to  report  our- 
selves. From  here  we  go  to  call  on  the  United 
States  Minister  to  see  if  we  can  get  into  Parliament. 
He  received  us  kindly,  and  after  some  time  spent 
pleasantly,  told  us  he  would  see  by  next  day,  as  he 
was  authorized  to  give  but  two  permits  a  day,  and 


18  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

that  there  were  so  many  Americans  now  here  that 
he  feared  there  was  no  chance  for  us  during  our 
brief  stay  in  the  city.  St.  James's  Park  was  next 
visited.  Something  over  a  mile,  at  Buckingham 
Palace  (the  Queen's  present  residence),  we  see  a 
vast  crowd  of  people,  and  learn  that  the  Shah,  of 
whom  I  spoke  in.  my  last  letter,  is  to  attend  the 
Opera,  and  will,  with  the  royal  family,  in  state,  pass 
out.  Notwithstanding  my  opinion  expressed  in  my 
last  letter,  I  resolved  to  see  all  of  it  that  could  be 
seen,  even  at  some  discomfort.  We  wait.  The  crowd 
thickens  and  spreads  over  the  vast  grounds;  the 
police  can  hardly  keep  the  way  open  for  the  carnages. 
After  about  two  hours  out  they  came.  Fortunately, 
our  position  was  on  the  margin  of  the  open  way. 
"We  saw  all  we  could,  but  did  not  discover  that  kings 
and  queens  (prospective)  are  different  from  other 
people,  only  in  their  external  trappings.  I  was  sur- 
prised to  find  the  thousands  that  were  gathered  there 
so  anxious  to  see  them.  There  is  a  magic  charm  in 
royalty  to  those  who  are  governed  by  it.  As  this 
was  my  first,  and  may  be  my  last  chance,  to  be  a 
"looker-on,"  I  was  glad  to  embrace  it  in  this  best 
phase  of  monarchy.  Saturday  we  visit  the  financial 
portion  of  the  city.  Wall  street  seems  but  a  small 
affair  compared  to  this  world's  heart  of  money-power. 
The  Bank  of  England  covers  eight  acres,  while  other 
moneyed  institutions  cover  over  a  large  portion  of 
this  part  of  the  city. 

On  the  Rounds. — The  Westminster  Abbey,  the  place 
where  sleeps  the  remains  of  the  sovereigns  and  great 
men  of  the  nation  for  hundreds  of  years,  is  the  most 
solemn,  grand,  and  impressive  place  I  ever  entered. 
We  paid  our  fee  to  go  round  with  one  of  the  guides, 
who  gave  a  synopsis  of  many  who  rest  there,  em- 
bracing an  epitome  of  England's  history  for  hun- 
dreds of  years. 

We  got  permission,  and  go  through  the  Parliament 


HEARING  AND  SEEING  SPURGEON.  19 

buildings  and  look  at  the  statues  of  many  men  whom 
the  nation  delight  to  honor.  Of  some  of  these  I  may 
speak  at  some  future  time ;  also  of  the  Abbey.  We 
go  to  the  office  of  the  United  States  Legation — but 
one  ticket  to  the  House  of  Lords  can  be  given,  and 
I  am  the  fortunate  recipient,  I  go  on  Tuesday,  at  5 
P.M.,  when  they  meet. 

After  dinner  we  take  a  trip  on  the  underground 
railroad.  Notwithstanding  the  millions  on  the  sur- 
face, traveling,  they  seem  to  be  as  crowded  on  the 
cars  under  the  ground.  At  the  crossing  of  some  of 
the  streets  steps  go  down,  and  regular  stations  for 
passengers  to  get  on  and  off.  There  are  many  of 
these  running  through  and  around  the  city;  others 
traverse  it  in  the  air.  On  our  return  we  take  the 
top  of  a  street-car,  and  go  several  miles  to  its  termi- 
nus, and  walk  several  more  to  London  Cemetery, 
overlooking  the  city — said  to  be  the  highest  point 
in  the  vicinity.  The  monuments  are  of  a  previous 
age,  mostly.  The  prospective  is  grand  for  many 
miles  around. 

This  has  been  a  busy  day  of  intense  interest,  to 
which  I  shall  look  back  with  pleasure,  and  may  at 
some  time  say  something  more  about  it. 

Hearing  and  Seeing  Spurgeon. — Mr.  Spurgeon 
is  the  great  attraction  here.  Every  one  of  our 
party,  indeed  all  the  Americans  at  the  hotel,  go 
to  hear  him.  He  is  a  truly  great  man.  I  took 
notes  of  his  sermon,  but  this  is  not  the  place  for 
them.  The  sermon  was  one  of  the  plainest,  most 
evangelical,  and  spiritual,  I  ever  listened  to.  He  had 
been  absent  about  a  month,  as  he  said,  in  the  only 
forest  in  England.  He  seems  to  be  over  forty;  but 
one  of  his  members  told  me  he  was  only  thirty-three, 
and  that  he  was  about  five  feet  six  or  eight  inches  in 
height.  He  opened  his  service  with  prayer,  then 
singing,  he  giving  out  a  verse  at  a  time;  then  read 
and  commented  on  several  passages  of  Scripture; 


20  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

then  singing  and  prayer;  singing  and  sermon.  His 
church  is  of  a  circular  form,  with  two  galleries  ex- 
tending all  around,  he  standing  on  a  circular  plat- 
form about  the  height  of  the  first  gallery.  It  holds 
between  7,000  and  8,000  people,  and  was  filled,  as 
usual. 

Among  the  Tombs. — We  then  went  to  Wesley  Chapel 
and  to  City  Eoad  Methodist  Church,  where  lie  the  re- 
mains of  John  Wesley  and  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  side  by 
side.  On  the  monument  erected  to  the  former  is  this 
inscription:  "To  the  memory  of  the  venerable  John 
Wesley,  A.M.,  late  Fellow  of  Lincoln  College,  Ox- 
ford ;  died  March  2, 1791,  aged  88  years."  On  the  lat- 
ter:  "  Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Adam  Clarke,  LL.D., 
A.S.,  who  rested  from  his  labors  August  26,  1832." 
Then  comes  the  tomb  of  Richard  Watson,  with  this: 
"Sacred  to  the  memory  of  Rev.  Richard  Watson, 
who  died  in  the  Lord  January  8,  1833,  in  the  52d 
year  of  his  age — a  man  no  more  distinguished  for 
admirable  endowment  of  his  mind  than  for  the  depth 
of  his  piety,  the  fervor  of  his  zeal,  and  the  constancy 
of  his  powerful  genius  to  the  service  of  God  in  His 
sanctuary,  and  the  spiritual  interests  of  mankind." 
Here  sleep  the  remains  of  many  distinguished 
Methodist  preachers.  Dr.  Bunting  was  the  last  one 
buried  here — June  16, 1858.  I  copy  the  inscription 
of  Wesley's  mother: 

"Here  lies  the  body  of  Mrs.  Susanna  Wesley, 
widow  of  Rev.  Samuel  Wesley,  M.  A.,  late  Rector 
of  Epworth,  in  Lincolnshire,  who  died  July  23, 1742, 
aged  72  years.  She  was  the  youngest  daughter  of  the 
Rev.  Samuel  Annesley,  D.D.,  ejected  by  the  Act  of 
Uniformity  from  the  Rectory  of  St.  Giles's  Cripple- 
gate,  August  24,  1662.  She  was  the  mother  of  nine- 
teen children,  of  whom  the  most  eminent  were  the 
Revs.  John  and  Charles  Wesley,  the  former  of  whom 
was,  under  God,  founder  of  the  Society  called  Meth- 
odists. 


JOHN  WESLEY.  21 

14  In  sure  and  certain  hope  to  rise, 
And  claim  her  mansion  in  the  skies; 
A  Christian  here,  her  flesh  laid  down, 
The  cross  exchanging  for  a  crown." 

There,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street,  are 
many  whose  names  are  as  household  words  with  us. 
Prominent  among  these  is  John  Bunyan,  whose  "  Pil- 
grim's Progress  "  has  perhaps  been  more  extensively 
read  than  any  book  except  the  Bible.  In  marble  he 
lies  on  top  of  his  tomb,  on  one  side  of  which  his 
sins  press  on  his  back,  as  a  large  weight.  On  the 
other  side  they  are  gone — very  impressive. 

John  Wesley. — It  was  here,  in  this  chapel,  that  John 
"Wesley  preached,  and  near  it  he  lived  and  died.  It 
was,  and  is,  the  center  of  Methodism.  There  are  now 
two  parsonages  here,  in  which  the  preachers  live 
who  are  on  this  circuit;  for  this  is  still  their  plan. 
In  one  of  these  Benson  wrote  his  "Commentary." 
They  have  a  number  of  class-rooms  in  the  basement, 
in  which  they  were  having  meetings  when  we  were 
there.  They  still  adhere  to  the  plan  of  small  classes. 
The  chapel  is  one  of  the  largest,  with  a  box  pulpit 
hung  up,  I  know  not  how  far,  though  it  has  been 
lowered  five  feet.  I  felt  that  I  was  standing  in  a 
holy  place,  where  Mr.  Wesley  had  so  often  preached, 
and  where  he  commenced  an  organization  now  more 
numerous  than  any  other  Protestant  Church.  After 
spending  a  long  time  with  the  preachers  and  people 
there,  learning  all  I  could,  we  went  to  hear  the  same 
preacher  who  preached  there  in  the  " G-oshetten."  I 
judge  it  to  be  a  hard  vicinity,  from  what  I  saw. 
Street-singing  and  exhortation,  perhaps  preaching, 
is  kept  up  here  as  in  olden  times.  We  stopped  a 
while  at  several  such  places,  day  and  night.  But  I 
must  not  dwell  longer  in  this  detail. 

London's  Immensity. — London  overwhelms  me  with 
its  immensity:  j  ust  think  of  ten  miles,  some  say  twelve 
by  twelve  miles,  of  houses  filled  up,  and  filled  with  hu- 


22  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

man  beings,  numbering  between  three  and  four  mil- 
lion !  To  see  it  all  would  require  weeks  instead  of  days. 
There  are  several  important  places  we  will  visit  in  the 
next  three  days,  after  which  we  are  to  be  off  for  the 
Continent.  Then  we  shall  feel  our  dependence  on  our 
conductor,  as  we  shall  be  barbarians  to  each,  as  the 
Shah  has  been  to  all  here.  He  has  gone  to  France, 
and  royalty  is  quiet  again.  The  weather  is  still  cool, 
alternating  often  between  sunshine  and  shower,  as 
usual  here.  They  have  very  little  night  here;  but 
they  make  it  up  by  sleeping  late.  Our  company  are 
learning  the  same  fashion  of  getting  up  at  9  and  10 
o'clock.  I  rise  and  write  this  hasty  scrawl  while 
some  of  them  are  quietly  folded  in  the  arms  of  Mor- 
pheus. I  will  sketch  our  pathway  briefly  as  I  may 
have  time. 


LETTEE  3. 

Rev.  Samuel  Watson  taking  a  look  at  London— Westminster 
Abbey— St.  Paul's— Tower  of  London. 

LONDON,  July  8,  1873. 

Zoological  Gardens.  —  On  Monday  evening  we 
went  to  the  Zoological  Gardens,  as  they  are  called, 
though  they  contain  over  two  hundred  acres.  ^  Here 
are  collected  the  plants,  flowers,  shrubs,  animals, 
etc.,  of  the  world.  Though  they  are  exceedingly 
interesting,  they  do  not  come  up  to  the  Central 
Park,  of  Hew  York. 

Westminster  Abbey. — No  one  who  visits  London 
would  ever  think  of  leaving  there  without  one  or  more 
visits  to  "Westminster  Abbey.  "Who  has  not  read  of 
that  little  island  of  thorns  around  which,  in  the  days 
of  the  Druids,  the  Thames  threw  an  arm,  on  which 
the  Roman  colonists  erected  a  temple  to  Apollo?  The 
Christian  faith,  advancing  from  the  East,  began  to 


WESTMINSTER  ABBEY.  23 

fulfill  the  prophet's  declaration  that  the  wilderness 
and  the  solitary  place  shall  blossom  as  the  rose. 
Sebert,  King  of  the  East  Saxons,  cleared  away  the 
thorns,  and  erected  in  the  midst  of  the  temple  a 
rude  church,  which  he  dedicated  to  St.  Peter,  and 
received  his  remains.  A  neat  monument  still  marks 
the  place  of  his  remains.  Three  hundred  years  af- 
terward King  Edgar  established  a  priory,  consisting 
of  twelve  monks  of  the  Benedict  order.  One  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  later  Edward  the  Confessor  ele- 
vated the  priory  to  an  abbey,  within  whose  enlarged 
borders  he  found  an  honorable  tomb.  It  was  not, 
however,  till  1220  that  the  present  church  was  com- 
menced by  Henry  III.,  to  whom  is  ascribed  the 
chapels  of  the  virgin  and  of  the  confession,  the 
transept's,  and  the  choir.  The  building  was  carried 
on  by  twelve  successive  abbots  and  kings,  but  is  not 
yet  finished,  and  perhaps  never  will  be.  It  is  like 
many  we  see  over  Europe,  that  mock  the  pride  of 
man,  whose  foundations  crumble  before  the  capstone 
of  the  last  tower  can  be  put  on.  It  was  called  West- 
minster— that  is,  the  minster  or  monastery  church 
west  of  London.  It  consists — first,  of  Henry  VII. 's 
chapel,  the  exterior  of  which  has  been  restored  at  an 
expense  of  two  hundred  thousand  dollars;  second, 
Edward  the  Confessor's  chapel  and  shrine,  writh  the 
chapels  of  St.  Nicholas,  St.  Benedict,  St.  Edmund, 
St.  John  the  Baptist,  St.  Paul,  St.  Erasmus;  third, 
the  transepts;  fourth,  the  choir;  fifth,  the  nave; 
sixth,  Blaze  chapel;  seventh,  Jerusalam  Chamber; 
eighth,  chapter- house;  ninth,  pise;  tenth,  little 
cloisters;  eleventh,  dark  cloisters;  twelfth,  area 
cloisters;  thirteenth,  Dean's  Yard.  Exteriorly,  the 
church  measures  532  feet  by  220.  I  have  always 
had  a  great  desire  to  see  the  Westminster  Abbey; 
hence  it  was  one  of  the  first  places  I  visited.  I  was 
there  several  times.  There  is  no  other  such  place 
in  the  world.  There  is  an  epitome  of  England's 


24  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

history  in  the  monuments  and  epitaphs  of  the  men 
and  women  she  has  delighted  to  honor.  Passing 
through  the  general  entrance  on  the  east  side  of  the 
south  transept,  I  found  myself  in  the  "  poet's  corner." 
The  eye  is  at  once  riveted  on  the  distinguished  dead 
— Chaucer,  Spenser,  Dryden,  Milton,  Shakspeare, 
Addison,  etc.  In  the  center  transept  of  the  largest 
gothic  structure  of  Great  Britain  you  may  attend 
worship.  Around  and  beneath  you  are  the  monu- 
ments of  the  mighty  dead,  while  every  thing  you 
cast  your  eye  upon  is  associated  with  the  history  of 
the  past.  Here  Druids  once  offered  bloody  sacri- 
fices. Here  a  long  line  of  priests  lived  and  died. 
Here  kings  and  queens  of  Great  Britain,  from  Ed- 
ward the  Confessor  to  the  present  populaj1  queen, 
Victoria,  were  crowned.  The  old  chair  is  there  still; 
but  those  who  have  occupied  it  on  those  important 
occasions  live  there  only  in  the  history  of  the  past. 
Here,  from  the  days  of  Henry  III.  to  those  of  George 
II.,  they  were  entombed.  To  this  altar  princes 
brought  their  incense,  and  crusaders  consecrated 
their  victorious  swords.  The  gorgeous  buildings, 
the  solemn  associations,  were  calculated  to  inspire 
feelings  of  grandeur,  solemnity,  and  reverence.  For 
a  small  fee  a  guide  directs  you  through  the  seven 
chapels.  The  center  of  these  is  Edward  the  Con- 
fessor's, the  floor  of  which  is  several  feet  above  the 
general  level  of  the  Abbey.  Around  it  are  the 
tombs  of  royal  personages.  Some  of  these  tombs, 
though  considerably  damaged,  are  very  rich.  In 
this  chapel  are  two  large  chairs.  One  of  them  is 
the  coronation  chair,  brought  from  Scotland  by  Ed- 
ward L,  underneath  which  is  suspended  the  large, 
rough  stone  on  which  the  kings  of  Scotland  had 
previously  been  crowned,  and  which,  in  the  super- 
stition of  England,  is  associated  with  the  sovereignty 
of  this  realm;  the  other,  the  chair  which  was  pro- 
vided for  Mary,  wife  of  William  III.,  when  she  was 


ST.  PAUL'S  CATHEDRAL.  25 

crowned  jointly  with  her  husband.  From  this  chapel 
you  pass  into  the  ambulatory  and  the  chapels  open- 
ing into  it,  all  of  which  are  surrounded  by  tombs  and 
monuments,  ancient  and  modern ;  the  oldest,  that  of 
"William  de  Valence,  is  dated  1226.  From  here  we 
ascend  a  small  flight  of  stairs  into  Henry  VII. 's 
chapel  of  the  Virgin  Mary.  This  is  the  gem  of  the 
whole  structure.  The  roof  is  most  beautifully 
wrought  into  circles,  which  are  carved  in  elegant 
fan-tracery,  each  circle  having  a  pendent  boss  in 
the  center.  The  pillars  and  arches  by  which  it  is 
supported  are  adorned  with  ornamental  carving, 
and  the  walls  decorated  with  statues  of  patriarchs, 
apostles,  and  martyrs.  In  this  chapel  are  several 
royal  tombs,  the  most  sumptuous  of  which  is  that 
of  Henry  VII.  and  his  queen,  Elizabeth.  Those  in 
which  I  felt  most  interest  were  Queen  Elizabeth,  and 
Queen  Mary,  and  Mary  Queen  of  Scots,  in  much 
closer  proximity,  and  with  much  more  apparent 
friendship  than  they  manifested  toward  each  other 
in  their  lives.  Thus  I  felt,  and  so  expressed  myself 
to  the  guide.  As  we  pass  among  these  tombs  one 
can  but  reflect  on  the  desolations  of  time  and  the 
weakness  of  humanity.  Vanity  of  vanities  is  earthly 
glory;  yet  those  monuments  to  the  dead  may  in- 
spire the  British  youths  with  virtuous  heroism.  Pitt 
stands  speaking  with  commanding  grace;  Newton 
sits  in  lofty  contemplation  of  the  laws  of  nature, 
which  he  discovered  by  the  falling  of  an  apple. 

St.  Paul's.— We  then  visited  St.  Paul's  Cathedral. 
This  is  said  to  be  the  most  prominent  object  in  the 
city.  We  went  up  to  the  dome,  and  took  a  fine  view 
of  the  city.  The  whispering  gallery,  at  the  bottom  of 
the  inner  dome,  renders  audible  the  slightest  whis- 
per from  side  to  side.  The  great  bell  here  is  only 
tolled  when  a  member  of  the  royal  family  dies. 
This  is  the  largest  church  in  the  world,  except  St. 
Peter's,  at  Rome;  cost  between  seven  and  eight  mil- 
2 


26  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

lions,  and  was  finished  in  1710.  But  notwithstand- 
ing the  superior  size  of  St.  Peter's,  this  is  a  grander 
and  more  magnificent  building.  I  like  its  style  of 
architecture  much  better.  From  whatever  point  it 
is  viewed  it  presents  a  more  imposing  appearance. 
St.  Peter's  is  divided  up  into  chapels;  St.  Paul's 
has  an  immense  audience-room,  capable  of  seating 
several  thousand  people.  Like  Mount  Zion,  it  is 
beautiful  for  situation  —  elevated,  central,  the  joy 
of  all  London.  The  ground  on  which  it  stands 
has  been  the  site  of  a  cathedral  ever  since  the  sixth 
century,  and  has  been  a  place  of  sepulture  ever  since 
the  Roman  conquest.  In  digging  the  foundations 
of  the  present  structure,  in  1674,  the  workmen 
pierced,  at  different  distances,  the  graves  of  four 
different  peoples.  Old  St.  Paul's  was  690  feet  by 
130,  with  a  nave  102  feet,  and  a  choir  88  feet  high. 
The  great  fire  of  1666  swept  over  it.  In  1765  Sir 
Christopher  Wren  laid  the  first  stone  of  the  present 
cathedral,  and  in  1710  laid  the  last  of  the  lantern  of 
the  cupola.  The  building  is  in  the  form  of  a  cross, 
having  naves  and  transepts.  Its  entire  length  is  500 
feet,  285  feet  in  breadth  of  nave,  and  transept  107; 
average  height  of  the  wall  90  feet;  two  towers,  220 
feet;  that  of  the  summit  of  the  cross,  404  feet. 
Over  the  northern  portico  are  carved  the  royal  arms, 
supported  by  angels;  eight  Corinthian  columns  of 
blue-veined  marble  support  the  organ  and  gallery, 
beautiful  in  themselves,  rendered  more  so  by  the 
carved  work.  Near  the  gallery  is  a  plain  slab,  bear- 
ing the  name  of  Christopher  Wren.  The  organ 
contains  thirty- three  stops  and  two  thousand  one 
hundred  and  twenty -two  pipes.  Its  effects  are 
grand.  I  attended  church  there  one  Sabbath  while 
in  London,  and  the  church,  the  congregation,  the 
service,  pulpit,  and  preacher,  were  all  on  the  grandest 
scale  I  ever  witnessed.  The  stalls  of  the  choir  are 
enriched  with  the  most  elegant  carving.  The  altar- 


THE  TOWER  OP  LONDON.  27 

piece  is  adorned  with  four  fluted  pilasters,  painted, 
and  veined  with  gold.  Within  the  choir  and  aisles 
the  floor  is  white;  in  the  body  and  west  end  it  con- 
sists of  bodies  of  black  and  white  marble,  alter- 
nately; within  the  altar-rails,  of  porphyry,  polished 
and  placed  in  geometrical  forms.  The  pulpit  is  ele- 
gantly carved,  and  occupies  a  central  position.  I 
went  up  to  the  whispering  gallery;  the  entire  ascent 
to  the  ball  is  six  hundred  and  sixteen  steps.  From 
this  place  you  have  the  finest  view  of  London  and 
for  miles  around  of  any  place  I  visited.  Away  in 
the  distance  is  seen  the  Crystal  Palace,  the  various 

Earks  and  palaces  of  which  I  have  written — grand, 
eautiful,  and  sublime.  The  bell  is  ten  inches  thick, 
and  weighs  11,474  pounds;  the  clapper  weighs  180 
pounds,  and  is  moved  only  on  the  death  of  a  mem- 
ber of  the  royal  family,  the  Archbishop  of  Canter- 
bury, the  Bishop  of  London,  or  mayor  of  the  city. 
The  clock  strikes  the  hour,  and  is  heard  twenty 
miles;  the  hammer  weighs  145  pounds. 

The  Tower  of  London.  —  This  is  one  of  the 
most  interesting  places  to  visit  in  this  great  city. 
Much  of  the  history  of  the  nation  is  connected 
with  the  events  which  have  transpired  here. 
It  is  a  group  of  structures,  a  cluster  of  houses, 
towers,  barracks,  armories,  warehouses,  and  prison- 
like  edifices  near  the  River  Thames,  separated 
from  the  crowded  streets  of  the  city  by  an  open 
space  called  Tower  Hill.  It  was  founded  by  Wil- 
liam the  Conqueror,  on  the  site  of  an  old  fortress, 
to  secure  his  authority  over  the  people  of  London ; 
but  it  has  been  greatly  extended  by  the  subsequent 
monarchs.  It  was  surrounded  in  the  twelfth  century 
by  a  large  ditch  or  canal,  to  prevent  the  escape  of 
prisoners.  This  was  drained  in  1842.  Within  the 
center  wall  the  ground  measures  upward  of  twelve 
acres.  Next  to  the  river  was  a  water  entrance  called 
the  "  Traitor's  Gate."  The  interior  of  the  Tower  is 


28  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

an  irregular  assemblage  of  short  streets  and  court- 
yards. The  "  White  Tower"  is  the  oldest,  and  the 
chapel  a  fine  specimen  of  a  small  Norman  church. 
The  "Lion  Tower"  is  near  the  principal  entrance. 
The  "Bloody  Tower"  nearly  opposite  the  "  Traitor's 
Gate."  These  old  towers  are  very  curious.  The 
principal  objects  of  interest  are  a  collection  of  can- 
non, trophies  of  war.  The  "Horse  Armory"  is  a 
long  gallery,  built  in  1826,  has  an  extensive  collection 
of  cannon,  consisting  of  almost  every  thing  in  that 
line  for  ages  past,  venerable  for  the  antiquity.  There 
are  about  twenty  suits  of  armor  complete,  placed  on 
stuffed  men  and  stuffed  horses.  Four  of  the  suits  be- 
longed to  Henry  VIII.  Queen  Elizabeth's  armory  is 
in  the  "White  Tower,"  the  walls  of  which  are  thirteen 
feet  thick,  and  still  contain  inscriptions  of  state  pris- 
oners in  troubled  times.  The  instruments  of  torture 
looked  horrible.  The  beheading  ax  and  block  where 
royal  blood  has  been  spilt  makes  one  shudder  to  be- 
hold. The  lions  in  the  Tower  were  among  the  sights 
of  the  place  for  six  hundred  years,  but  they  have  been 

fiven  to  the  Zoological  Society.  The  English  people 
old  the  lion  as  the  king  of  beasts,  and  the  emblem  of 
their  own  superiority ;  so  Switzerland  regards  Bruin 
as  their  emblem.  The  jewel  house  is  a  well-guarded 
room  to  the  east  of  the  armories,  contains  the  valu- 
able collection  of  state  jewels.  Among  them  St. 
Edward's  crown,  used  at  all  the  coronations  from 
Charles  II.  to  William  IV.  The  new  state  crown, 
made  for  the  coronation  of  Queen  Victoria,  and 
valued  at  more  than  five  hundred  thousand  dollars ; 
the  Prince  of  Wales  and  the  queen  consort's  crowns, 
and  many  others,  are  here  to  be  seen.  The  famous 
"mountain  of  light,"  the  wonderful  diamond,  the 
property  of  Queen  Victoria,  is  kept  here.  It  was  an 
object  of  great  interest  at  the  two  exhibitions.  Y"ou 
are  guided  through  these  places  by  wardens  who 
wear  a  curious  costume  of  Henry  VIII. 's  time. 


THE  TOWER  OP  LONDON.  29 

Here  are  the  works  of  the  great  masters  of  the  world 
who  nobly  represent  the  Roman,  Bolognese,  Vene- 
tian, Paduan,  Flemish,  Dutch,  French,  and  English 
schools  of  painting,  which  seem  to  give  visibility  to 
things  not  seen.  Francias's  Dead  Christ,  with  his  head 
reposing  on  his  mother's  lap,  while  angels  hover  over 
his  face  and  feet,  is  very  impressive,  and  seems  to 

Dissolve  the  heart  in  tenderness 
And  melt  the  eyes  to  tears. 

At  the  south-west  angle  we  come  to  the  bell-tower, 
which  suspends  the  garrison  alarm-bell,  and  is  cele- 
brated as  the  mission-house  of  the  brave  old  Bishop 
of  Rochester,  who  persisted  in  denying  the  legality 
of  Henry  VIII. 's  divorce,  even  to  death.  Here,  in 
this  apparently  small  matter,  we  see  how  much  often 
depends  upon  a  single  event.  If  Henry's  divorce 
had  been  acknowledged  by  the  bishop,  England 
might  have  continued  a  Catholic  country.  God 
only  knows.  The  walls  of  the  Beauchamp  Tower 
are  fifteen  feet  thick,  where  he  was  imprisoned  in 
the  reign  of  Richard  III.  As  we  proceed,  we  pass 
the  church  of  St.  Peter.  *0n  the  right  we  see  an- 
other tower  suggestive  of  painful  recollections. 
Here  we  are  reminded  of  the  rashness  and  ruin  of 
Elizabeth's  great  favorite,  the  meanness  and  perfidy 
of  her  bosom  friend;  the  struggle  between  revenge 
and  love  in  the  breast  of  the  man  over  her  doomed 
friend,  and  the  history  of  that  reign ;  the  death-bed 
confession  of  Lady  Harard ;  the  violence  of  her  sov- 
ereign, who  shook  the  dying  countess  in  her  bed, 
screaming,  "May  God  forgive  you,  I  never  can;" 
and  the  gloom  that  thenceforward  settled  down  upon 
that  sovereign's  great  but  guilty  soul.  How  vivid 
these  things  come  into  one's  mind  when  viewing 
the  places  where  these  things  occurred !  Facing  the 
east,  and  passing  on  the  right  of  the  barracks,  and 
on  the  left  of  the  "little  hell/'  or  "Flint  Tower," 


80  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

and  on  to  the  brick  tower,  where  the  beautiful,  the 
beloved,  the  good,  and  the  accomplished  Lady  Jane 
Grey  found  her  last  earthly  home,  and  from  which 
she  passed  to  her  heavenly  mansion.  Among  my 
boyhood  memories  cluster  the  history  of  this  deeply 
interesting  woman,  and  I  still  love  to  read  any  thing 
of  her  and  her  sad  end.  Through  that  window  she 
could  see  the  palace  in  which  she  had  been  hailed  as 
queen,  amid  the  rejoicings  of  the  metropolis. 
Through  the  same  dungeon-window  she  bade  fare- 
well to  her  young  and  innocent  loving  husband  as  he 
passed  to  execution,  and  soon  after  saw  his  headless 
body,  wrapped  in  a  linen  cloth  dripping  with  blood, 
conveyed  to  the  chapel.  Through  that  door  she 
herself  passed  to  the  block,  saying:  "Lord  Jesus, 
receive  my  spirit."  Such  has  been  royal  life.  This 
place,  so  remarkable  in  English  history,  being  near 
a  half  mile  in  circumference,  is  a  subject  of  long 
and  interesting  study  and  reflection  upon  "man's 
inhumanity  to  man."  Time  swallows  the  ordinary 
laboft  of  man,  but  these  towers,  prisons,  and  monu- 
ments, which  for  near  a  thousand  years  have  stood 
marking  the  generations  of  men  as  they  pass  by  on 
the  stage  of  action,  bear  a  few  landmarks  of 
their  history  as  a  great  abstract  of  the  past  and  index 
to  the  future.  These  have  witnessed  generation 
after  generation  marching  on  as  one  vast  funeral 
procession  to  the  tomb  of  Norman,  Saxon,  Briton, 
Scot;  white  rose  and  red,  royalist  and  rebel,  cavalier 
and  roundhead,  protestant  and  papist,  marching  to 
mortal  combat.  New  consecrations  and  fetes,  pro- 
cessions and  tournaments;  then  the  doomed  pris- 
oner, muffled  in  his  cloak,  following  the  ax,  with  a 
few  weeping  friends,  clad  in  black, -and  here  we 
stand  and  behold  the  ax-block  and  the  instruments 
of  death  around.  How  sad  and  sickening!  But 
these  days  are  past,  never,  I  presume,  to  return. 
Pagan,  Jew,  Christian,  Papist  and  Protestant,  Pu- 


LONDON  PAKKS,  PALACES,  ETC.  31 

ritan  and  Churchman,  have  worshiped  in  these  courts, 
and  all  can  now  worship  God  in  this  glorious  land 
and  be  protected  by  its  laws.  These  mouths  of 
death  are  forever  closed.  These  bloody  towers  look 
peacefully  upon,  perhaps,  the  "best  government  in 
the  world."  These  dungeons  are  empty.  These 
instruments  of  torture  are  objects  of  curiosity,  as 
relics  of  the  darker  ages.  These  subterranean  pas- 
sages are  closed,  and  England  presents  the  brightest 
history  of  the  world. 

London  Parks,  Palaces,  etc. — Whether  we  con- 
sider this  great  city  as  the  metropolis  of  a  great 
and  mighty  empire,  upon  the  dominion  of  whose 
sovereign  the  sun  never  sets,  or  the  home  of 
between  three  and  four  millions  of  people,  and 
the  richest  city  in  the  world,  it  is  an  intensely 
interesting  place  to  visit.  The  Romans,  after 
conquering  the  ancient  British  inhabitants,  about 
A.  D.  61,  "rebuilt  and  walled  it  in  about  301.  Eo- 
man  remains,  and  some  fragments  of  the  old  wall, 
are  still  found  when  making  excavations.  London, 
in  the  Anglo-Norman  times,  though  originally  con- 
fined by  the  walls,  grew  up  a  dense  mass  of  brick 
and  wooden  houses.  The  city  stands  from  twelve  to 
sixteen  feet  higher  than  it  did  in  the  early  part  of 
its  history.  From  a  city  hemmed  within  a  wall 
London  expanded  in  all  directions,  and  thus  gradu- 
ally formed  a  connection  with  various  clusters  of 
dwellings  in  the  neighborhood.  It  has,  in  fact,  ab- 
sorbed towns  and  villages  for  a  considerable  distance 
around.  This  is  the  main  reason  why  it  is  so  diffi- 
cult to  comprehend.  It  is  an  assemblage,  of  towns, 
the  intervening  spaces  having  been  built  up.  Some 
of  the  streets  are  very  long  and  straight,  being,  I 
suppose,  originally  the  roads  between  the  towns. 
City  Road,  I  presume,  was  one  of  these  connecting 
links,  but  now  one  of  the  finest  streets  in  the  city. 
The  growth  of  London,  to  its  present  enormous  size, 


32  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

may  readily  be  accounted  for,  from  the  fact  that  for 
ages  it  has  been  the  capital  of  England,  and  the  seat 
of  her  court  and  legislature;  and  that  since  the 
union  with  Scotland  and  Ireland  it  has  become  a 
center  for  those  two  countries.  It  is  the  residence 
of  the  nobility,  landed  gentry,  and  other  families  of 
wealth.  It  has  a  fine  natural  position,  lying,  as  it 
does,  upon  the  banks  of  what  they  consider  a  great 
river  (but  only  about  the  size  of  White  River),  some 
sixty  miles  from  the  sea.  The  great  central  thor- 
oughfare of  Cheapside  is  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  famous  streets  in  the  city,  intimately  associated 
with  the  municipal  glories  of  London  for  centuries 
past.  Many  of  the  business  houses  here  are  mag- 
nificent. Some  small  plots  of  ground  here  have 
been  sold  as  high  as  five  millions  of  dollars  per  acre. 
On  each  side  of  Cheapside  narrow  streets  diverge 
into  the  dense  mass  behind.  The  greater  part  of 
these  back  streets,  with  the  lanes  adjoining,  are  oc- 
cupied by  the  offices  or  warehouses  of  wholesale 
dealers  in  cloth,  silk,  hosiery,  lace,  etc.,  and  are  re- 
sorted to  by  London  and  country  shop-keepers  for 
supplies.  The  Strand,  so  called  because  it  lies  along 
the  bank  of  the  river,  now  hidden  by  houses,  is 
a  long  and  somewhat  irregular  built  street.  In  the 
seventeenth  century  the  Strand  was  a  country  road 
connecting  the  city  with  "Westchester,  and  on  its 
southern  side  a  number  of  noblemen's  residences, 
writh  gardens  toward  the  river.  The  eastern  half 
of  the  Strand  is  thickly  surrounded  by  theaters  and 
places  of  amusement.  The  residences  of  the  nobil- 
ity and  gentry  are  chiefly  in  the  western  part  of  the 
metropolis.  In  this  quarter  there  have  been  large 
additions  of  handsome  streets,  squares,  and  terraces, 
within  the  past  few  years.  Much  has  been  done 
recently  toward  adorning  the  metropolis  with  health- 

§iving  parks  and  grounds,  freely  open  to  the  public, 
t.  James's  Park  was  the  first  one  I  visited.    It  was 


LONDON,  PARKS,  ETC.  33 

near  our  minister's  residence,  whom  I  called  to  see 
about  getting  a  ticket  to  parliament  soon  after  our 
arrival.  This  is  a  grand,  picturesque,  lovely  place, 
though  once  a  marshy  waste,  which  was  drained 
and  otherwise  improved  by  Henry  VIII.  Charles 
II.  improved  the  gardens  by  planting  avenues  of 
lime-trees  on  the  north  and  south  sides  of  the  park, 
and  by  forming  the  mall,  which  was  a  hollowed, 
smooth  graveled  space  half  a  mile  long,  skirted  with 
a  wooden  border,  for  playing  ball.  It  is  nearly  a 
mile  and  a  half  in  circumference,  and  covers  ninety 
acres,  and  the  avenues  form  delightful  shady  prom- 
enades. In  the  center  is  a  fine  lake  of  water,  inter- 
spersed with  islands,  and  dotted  with  swans  and 
water-fowl.  A  bridge  was  built  across  this  water 
in  1857.  On  each  side  are  spacious  lawns  encircled 
with  lofty  trees  and  flowering  shrubs.  There  are 
nine  or  ten  entrances  to  the  park,  the  queen's  guard 
doing  duty  each  day  and  night.  At  the  east  side  is 
a  large  graveled  space,  called  the  parade,  on  which, 
about  ten  o'clock  every  morning,  the  body-guards 
required  for  the  day  are  mustered,  and  here  the  regi- 
mental bands  perform.  At  the  western  end  is  Buck- 
ingham Palace,  around  and  about  which  we  visited, 
with  thousands  of  others,  some  hours,  to  see  the 
Shah  of  Persia  with  the  royal  family  accompanying 
him  to  the  opera.  This  park,  all  things  considered, 
is  regarded  as  one  of  the  greatest  ornaments  of  the 
city.  Green  Park  contains  only  about  sixty  acres, 
rising  with  a  gentle  slope  to  the  north  of  Bucking- 
ham Palace,  and  is  bounded  on  the  east  side  by 
many  mansions  of  the  nobility.  The  largest  eques- 
trian statue  in  England,  that  of  the  Duke  of  Wel- 
lington, stands  on  a  triumphal  arch  of  the  reign  of 
George  IV.  Hyde  Park  has  three  hundred  and 
ninety  acres,  part  of  which  is  considerably  elevated. 
The  whole  is  intersected  with  noble  roads,  paths, 
and  luxuriant  trees,  planted  singly  or  in  groups, 
2* 


34  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

presenting  a  very  diversified  prospect  of  beauty  and 
grandeur.  Near  the  south-east  corner,  on  an  elevated 
pedestal,  stands  a  colossal  bronze  statue  of  Achilles, 
cast  from  the  cannon  taken  at  the  battles  of  Sal- 
amanca and  Waterloo,  weighing  thirty  tons,  and, 
as  the  inscription  informs  us,  erected  to  the  Duke 
of  Wellington  and  his  companions  in  arms  by  their 
countrymen,  at  a  cost  of  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The 

freat  Exhibition  of  1851,  the  first  of  its  kind,  was 
eld  in  Crystal  Palace,  near  the  south-west  corner  of 
this  park.  The  exhibition  building  of  1862  was 
beyond  the  limits  of  the  park.  The  Albert  Memo- 
rial is  at  the  Remington  end  of  Hyde  Park,  of  which 
I  have  written.  Passing  through  this  park  one  may 
almost  suppose  they  are  far  away  from  human  habi- 
tation. You  can  hear  the  roar  of  the  great  city  in 
the  distance,  but  see  no  habitation.  Large  flocks 
of  sheep  are  grazing;  policemen  are  seen  scattered 
along  the  roads,  but  you  feel  like  you  were  in  the 
woods,  made  paradisical  by  man's  art  and  taste. 
We  visited  no  place  where  such  preparations  had 
been  made  as  in  this  vast  city  and  its  surroundings 
for  country  recreations.  All  that  nature,  art,  and 
genius  can  do  seems  to  have  been  done  to  make 
these  parks  attractive  to  the  millions  toiling  in  the 
city  for  their  maintenance.  Near  Prince's  Gate  of 
Hyde  Park  is  the  London  International  Exhibition 
of  1873.  This  we  visited,  and  was  much  interested. 
Among  the  many  objects  of  interest  are  shown  se- 
lected specimens,  as  follows:  Pictures,  oil  and  water 
color ;  sculpture,  decorative  furniture,  plate  designs, 
Mosaics,  etc.;  stained  glass,  architecture  and  models, 
engravings,  lithography,  photography  as  a  fine  art, 
porcelain,  earthenware,  terra  cotta,  and  stoneware; 
machinery  used  for  pottery  of  all  kinds,  willow 
manufactories,  machinery  in  motion,  used  in  wool- 
en and  worsted  manufactories;  live  alpacas,  scientific 
inventions  and  discoveries,  horticulture,  etc.  Vic- 


LONDON,  PARKS,  PALACES,  ETC.  35 

toria  Park  has  about  two  hundred  and  seventy  acres. 
Having  been  formed  only  a  few  years,  the  trees  have 
not  yet  grown  to  the  full  size,  but  it  is  becoming  a 
pleasant  place,  with  flower-beds,  lakes,  walks,  and 
shady  avenues.  This  park  is  distinguished  by  the 
most  magnificent  public  fountain  yet  constructed  in 
the  metropolis.  Battersea  Park  has  about  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres,  on  which  fifteen  thousand 
dollars  have  been  spent.  Until  recently  it  was  a 
miserable  swamp — now  it  is  a  fine  park.  A  beauti- 
ful suspension-bridge  connects  this  park  with  Chel- 
sea, on  the  other  side  of  the  river.  There  are  a 
number  of  other  parks,  but  I  did  not  visit  them, 
and  have  said  enough  to  let  the  reader  know  that 
this  great  city  has  also  immense  lungs,  and  breathes 
freely  from  them.  Besides  these  there  are  the  Zoo- 
logical Gardens,  containing  about  two  hundred  acres, 
at  the  northern  extremity  of  Regent's  Park.  Here 
they  have  the  vegetable  and  the  animal  kingdom 
well  represented.  Captain  Deering  and  myself  ac- 
cepted an  invitation  from  a  London  friend  to  go 
with  him  to  see  them.  I  will  here  say,  by  way  of 
parenthesis,  that  English  people,  women  as  well  as 
men,  are  the  greatest  walkers  I  ever  saw.  Ask  any 
one  how  far  to  such  a  place,  and  they  will  tell  you 
so  many  minutes ;  then  multiply  by  two  or  three, 
and  you  will  get  the  time  it  will  take  you  to  get 
there.  I  was  walked  around  in  these  gardens,  so- 
called,  until  I  was  tired  down.  The  collection  of 
animals  is  unquestionably  the  finest  in  England. 
The  sea-lions  and  the  sea-bears  were  rare  specimens 
of  the  inhabitants  of  the  briny  deep  blue  sea.  The 
polar-bear,  or  ice-bear,  measures  eight  feet  seven 
inches,  and  weighs  sixteen  hundred  pounds. 

Palaces. — The  palaces  of  London  are  places  of  great 
interest.  Buckingham  Palace  stands  at  the  \vest  end 
of  St.  James's  Park.  It  does  not  present  a  very  mag- 
nificent appearance.  The  ground  on  which  it  stands 


36  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

is  too  low.  I  was  not  favorably  impressed  with  the 
buildings  for  the  sovereign  of  this  great  nation's 
residence.  The  park  and  royal  gardens  were  grand, 
but  the  palace  fell  far  below  my  expectations  as  to 
its  appearance.  Marlborough  House,  the  residence 
of  the  Prince  and  Princess  of  Wales,  is  immedi- 
ately east  of  St.  James's  Palace,  separated  only  by  a 
carriage  road.  It  was  built  by  Christopher  Wren, 
for  the  great  Duke  of  Marlborough.  The  house 
was  bought  from  him  for  the  Princess  Charlotte.  It 
was  afterward  occupied  in  succession  by  Leopold 
(the  late  King  of  the  Belgians).  St.  James's  Palace 
is  an  elegant  brick  structure,  built  by  Henry  VIII., 
in  1530,  on  the  site  of  what  was  once  the  hospital 
for  lepers.  The  fine  bands  of  the  foot-guards  play 
daily  at  eleven  in  the  color-court,  or  in  another 
quadrangle  on  the  east  side.  Lambeth  Palace  is 
said  to  be  about  four  hundred  years  old. 

Houses  of  Parliament. — This  is  the  name  usually 
given  to  the  new  Palace  of  Westminster.  It  is 
close  to  the  river.  It  is  said  to  be  the  finest 
modern  Gothic  structure  in  the  world,  at  least 
for  civil  purposes.  The  entire  building  covers 
about  eight  acres.  The  chief  public  entrance  is 
by  Westminster  Hall,  which  forms  a  vestibule 
to  the  houses  of  parliament  and  their  numerous 
committee -rooms.  The  rooms  and  staircases 
are  inconceivably  numerous,  and  there  are  said 
to  be  two  miles  of  passages  and  corridors.  The 
river-front,  raised  upon  a  fine  terrace  of  Aberdeen 
granite,  is  nine  hundred  feet  in  length,  and  pro- 
fusely adorned  with  statues,  heraldic  shields,  and 
tracers  covered  with  stone.  It  is  a  gorgeous  struc- 
ture, which  has  cost  over  ten  millions  of  dollars.  A 
farther  cost  of  near  a  million  for  frescoes  and  stat- 
uary had  been  incurred  up  to  March,  1860.  The 
two  chambers  in  which  parliament  meets  are  ill- 
adapted  for  a  great  nation's  legislature  to  meet. 


HOUSES  OF  PARLIAMENT.  37 

The  house  of  peers  is  ninety-seven  feet  long,  forty- 
five  wide,  and  forty-five  high.  It  is  profusely  painted 
and  gilt,  and  the  windows  are  so  darkened  by  deep- 
tinted  stained-glass  that  the  eye  can  with  difficulty 
make  out  the  details.  At  the  southern  end  is  the 
gorgeous  gilt  and  canopied  throne.  Near  the  center 
is  the  wool-sack  on  which  the  lord  chancellor  sits; 
at  the  end  and  sides  are  the  galleries  for  the  peer- 
esses, reporters,  and  strangers.  The  poorest  accom- 
modations I  ever  saw.  Even  in  our  state-house  they 
are  far  superior.  There  are  some  twelve  or  fifteen 
comfortable  seats  for  reporters,  and  room,  perhaps, 
for  some  thirty  or  forty  more  persons  to  sit  on — 
hard  seats,  patched  up  at  the  far  end.  The  seats  re- 
mind one  of  an  old-field  school-house — long  benches 
with  not  a  desk  or  any  convenience  for  writing, 
which  they  do  not  need,  as  they  write  their  speeches, 
I  presume,  before  they  come  there.  This  house  of 
lords  fell  greatly  below  my  expectations  in  several 
respects.  I  heard,  perhaps,  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
of  them  speak,  and,  with  one  or  two  exceptions, 
they  fell,  I  think,  below  our  members  of  our  legis- 
latures as  speakers.  In  the  house  of  commons  it  is 
very  different.  There  the  members  are  chosen  by 
the  people,  and  the  best  talent  of  the  nation  is  chosen 
to  represent  them.  Their  room  is  sixty-two  feet 
long,  by  forty-five  wide,  and  forty-five  high,  and  is 
much  less  elaborate  than  the  house  of  peers.  The 
speaker's  chair  is  in  the  north  end,  with  galleries 
along  the  sides  and  ends.  In  a  gallery  behind  the 
speaker's  chair  the  reporters  for  the  newspapers  sit. 
Over  them  is  the  ladies'  gallery,  where  the  view  is 
obstructed  by  the  grating.  One  might  suppose  from 
the  name  that  these  two  chambers — the  house  of 
peers  and  commons — constitute  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  building,  but  they  occupy  only  a  small  part 
of  the  area.  There  are  many  large,  fine  libraries, 
committee-rooms,  halls,  lobbies,  offices,  corridors, 


38  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

*• 

princes'  chamber,  peers'  corridor,  commoners'  lobby, 
and  corridente.  The  Victoria,  at  the  south-west 
angle  of  the  entire  structure,  is  one  of  the  finest 
in  the  world.  It  is  seventy-five  feet  square,  and 
three  hundred  and  forty  feet  high.  The  "Clock 
Tower,"  in  the  north  end,  is  forty  feet  square,  three 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  high,  profusely  gilt  mantel 
top.  The  clock  is  by  far  the  largest  and  finest  in 
this  country.  There  are  four  dials  on  the  face  of 
the  tower,  each  twenty-two  and  a  half  feet  in  diam- 
eter; the  hour  figures  are  two  feet  high,  twenty-six 
feet  apart;  minute  marks  fourteen  inches  apart; 
the  hands  weigh  two  hundred  and  forty  pounds,  the 
minute-hand  sixteen  feet  long.  There  are  about  five 
hundred  carved  stone  statues  in  the  building.  The 
Royal  Gallery  is  being  tilled,  illustrative  of  English 
history.  There,  among  others  specially  noted,  is  a 
picture  forty-five  feet  long  by  twelve  high,  repre- 
senting u  The  meeting  of  Wellington  and  Blucher" 
after  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  and  the  companion 
frescoe,  "The  Death  of  Nelson."  Yesterday  morn- 
ing we  went  out  to  the  Crystal  Palace.  This  sur- 
passed my  highest  expectations.  In  many  respects 
it  is  the  most  remarkable  structure  in  the  world.  It 
was  built  for  the  great  Exhibition  in  1851.  It  is 
sixteen  hundred  feet  long,  three  hundred  and  eighty 
wide.  There  are  two  arcades,  forty-five  feet  long 
by  one  hundred.  I  cannot  say  any  thing  now,  only 
that,  if  one  has  but  two  days  in  London,  one  of 
them  should  be  spent  at  the  Crystal  Palace  by  all 
means.  The  Italian  section  of  the  Educational 
party  arrived  last  night,  and  join  ours.  We  now 
number  fifty,  mostly  teachers.  We  leave  at  4:25  for 
Antwerp.  You  shall  hear  from  me  again  when  I 
can  find  time  to  drop  a  few  lines  as  we  pass  rapidly 
on  to  Vienna  and  Rome. 


JjETTERS    FROM   REV.  F.  W.  HOOPER.  39 


CHAPTER  II. 

Letters  from  the  Kev.  F.  W.  Hooper,  of  Lynchburg,  Virginia, 
written  for  the  News. 

ASTOR  HOUSE,  NEW  YORK,  June  20,  1873. 

DEAR  "NEWS:" —  According  to  promise,  I  now 
commence  a  series  of  letters  to  you,  in  which,  I  trust 
by  the  providence  of  God,  to  take  your  readers  to 
many  points  in  foreign  lands. 

We  started  from  ^the  "Hill  City"  on  yesterday, 
amid  the  hearty  Godspeed  of  many  a  loving  friend, 
whose  kindly  faces  will  beam  around  us  in  all  our 
journeyings.  After  an  hour  or  so  the  blues  and  the 
headache  both  wore  'away,  and  by  the  time  we 
reached  Charlottesville  we  were  ready  to  give  a 
hearty  greeting  to  several  new  companions.  One  of 
these  was  a  brilliant  young  lady,  who  at  once  put 
herself  under  my  care  with  the  joyous  self-congratu- 
lation that  "unmarried  ladies  could  use  other  people's 
husbands  on  such  voyages."  I  replied  to  this  in  a 
jovial  allusion  to  an  old  bachelor  who  was  present, 
suggesting  that  a  bridal  party  would  lend  a  romantic 
interest  to  our  excursion.  But  both  of  these  birds 
were  too  old  to  be  caught  with  such  chaff,  and  the 
younger  gentlernen  of  the  party  looked  as  if  they 
might  be  singing  internally,  "The  girl  I  left  behind 
me." 

Of  course  we  had  a  merry  discussion  about  sea- 
sickness, and  some  of  them  commenced  eating 
lemons  before  we  reached  Alexandria.  Various 


40  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

remedies  were  discussed — among  them  a  blue-mass 
pill  to  rectify  the  liver,  whereupon  a  solemn  divine 
suggested  "  Simmons's  livef  exterminator."  As  it  was 
evident  that  his  brain  was  confusing  bile  and  bed- 
bugs, his  suggestion  was  treated  with  scorn.  Well, 
we  came  on  to  Washington,  where  we  had  time  to  loaf 
around  the  Capitol  and  admire  its  splendid  archi- 
tecture. But  I  was  amused  at  the  quaint  criticism 
of  one  of  the  party,  on  the  Goddess  of  Liberty. 
He  said  "she  looked  like  she  was  holding  up  her 
skirts,"  which  at  once  reminded  him  of  "Cousin 
Sally  Dillard."  During  the  night  we  had  nothing 
of  special  interest,  except  that  we  must  have  met 
about  fifty  trains,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  every 
engineer  sounded  his  steam -whistle  right  at  my 
window.  Arriving  here  this  morning,  we  deter- 
mined to  start  out  with  this  hotel,  which  is  now 
kept  on  the  European  plan.  We  found  the  excur- 
sion party  rapidly  filling  up,  and  I  have  never  seen 
a  better  business  man  than  Mr.  Jenkins,  of  the  firm 
of  Cook,  Son  &  Jenkins,  under  whose  auspices  we 
are  to  travel.  He  seemed  to  know  every  member  of 
the  party  as  soon  as  his  name  was  mentioned,  and 
evidently  intends  to  satisfy  all,  if  such  a  thing  is 
possible  where  there  are  one  hundred  and  fifty  per- 
sons concerned  and  one-half  of  them  of  the  gentler 
sex. 

I  went  aboard  the  Victoria  this  evening,  and 
met  a  cordial  greeting  from  Captain  Munroe,  to 
whom  I  had  a  letter  of  introduction  from  Captain 
Cumminger,  of  your  city.  But  I  was  amused  at 
his  exhibition  of  nautical  perversity,  when  he  told 
me  he  remembered  Captain  Cumminger's  ship,  but 
did  not  remember  him.  It  reminded  me  of  General 
Buck  Terry's  ostler,  who,  at  the  surrender,  told  me 
he  knew  General  Lee  was  near  Spout  Spring,  "Be- 
case,"  said  he,  "I  seen  his  stock."  Captain  Munroe 
says  that  so  many  parsons  are  sure  to  cause  bad 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  F.  W.  HOOPER.          41 

weather,  and  I  may  just  as  well  make  up  my  mind 
to  be  sea-sick — which  I  have  n't. 

Your  readers  may  form  some  idea  of  the  size  of  the 
Victoria,  if  they  will  imagine  her  extending  across 
Church  street,  from  the  Washington  House  to  Dudley 
Hall,  and  in  such  a  predicament  my  state-room  would 
be  about  where  the  Baptist  Church  is,  but  high  enough 
above  the  water-line,  I  trust,  to  prevent  any  danger 
of  immersion.  It  is  said  to  be  the  largest,  newest, 
and  best  of  the  "Anchor  Line;"  and  Captain  Mun- 
roe  is  not  only  a  most  competent  commander,  but  is 
also  said  to  be  a  devoted  Christian. 

I  think,  from  what  I  have  seen  of  our  party,  that 
we  will  have  a  most  delightful  voyage ;  but  about 
that  I  can  write  more  fully  hereafter. 

This  evening  I  went  out  to  Central  Park,  and 
though  wearied  and  sleepy,  I  enjoyed  the  lively 
scene  presented  by  the  Gothamites  driving  their  fast 
horses,  and  showing  off  the  tinsel  of  a  shoddy  aris- 
tocracy. I  want  to  see  some  genuine  aristocracy, 
out  of  a  laudable  curiosity — not  to  compare  it  with 
the  mere  sham  which  I  have  witnessed  this  evening. 

Well,  you  are  not  the  only  one  to  whom  I  must 
write  before  retiring  to  rest,  and  I  will  therefore 
close,  with  the  best  wishes  for  all  of  you  who  are 
toiling  while  I  am  resting,  and  with  the  humble 
hope  that  I  shall  be  spared  to  inflict  many  a  note  of 
correspondence  before  I  return,  about  the  first  of 
September,  to  my  family  and  charge.  God  help 
us  all ! 


STEAMER  VICTORIA,  June  23,  1873. 

John  Phoenix  wrote  that  on  leaving  San  Diego, 
on  a  certain  occasion,  he  felt  mortified  at  having  no 
friend  to  bid  him  farewell ;  so,  walking  to  the  side  of 
the  boat,  he  took  off  his  hat  and  sung  out,  "Good- 
bye, Colonel!  "  when  twelve  or  fourteen  gentlemen 


42  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

at  once  replied  in  the  most  graceful  manner  imag- 
inable. On  leaving  New  York  Saturday,  we  were 
in  a  similar  predicament ;  but,  taking  oiF  our  bats 
and  waving  our  handkerchiefs,  about  five  hundred 
persons  on  shore  waved  us  a  most  hearty  farewell, 
supposing  that  we  were  acquaintances  and  friends. 

And  now  we  are  out  on  the  ocean,  and,  much  to 
my  surprise,  it  has  been  all  the  time  calmer  than 
Chesapeake  Bay.  The  ship  is  a  screw  propeller, 
and  moves  as  smoothly  as  a  Pullman  car  on  steel 
rails.  There  is  scarcely  a  jar,  and  the  engines  are 
as  regular  as  a  pulse-beat  in  their  great  throbbing, 
which  gives  us  motion  as  a  thing  of  life.  Our  ex- 
cursion party  is  composed  of  one  hundred  and  forty- 
eight  persons,  embracing  thirteen  ministers  of  va- 
rious denominations,  and  any  number  of  college 
professors  and  school-marms.  But  while  there  ^is 
such  a  promiscuous  assemblage,  all  seem  inclined  to 
minister  to  each  other's  comfort,  and  to  add  as  much 
as  possible  to  the  pleasure  of  the  excursion. 

Mr.  Cook  sent  over  a  conductor  to  meet  us  and 
escort  us  across  the  great  waters.  His  name  is  A. 
H.  Plagge,  a  German  ;  and  if  all  his  conductors  are 
as  competent  and  attentive,  I  am  sure  we  shall  have 
a  most  delightful  time. 

I  had  supposed  that  life  on  ship-board  was  mo- 
notonous and  wearisome ;  but,  so  far  from  that  being 
so,  it  is  really  a  treat  to  me  to  shut  myself  up  in  the 
smoking-room  to  write  these  few  lines.  It  is  inter- 
esting to  look  out  upon  the  waves  of  the  restless 
ocean,  and  while  it  is  the  same  old  ocean,  there  is  a 
constant  change  in  the  movement  of  its  waters.  At 
times  its  surface  seems  as  smooth  and  placid  as  a 
mirror,  and  then,  as  the  breeze  starts  up,  there  will 
be  a  gentle  ripple,  and  by  and  by  the  spray  will  be- 
gin to  plash  and  gleam  in  all  its  snowy  whiteness ; 
and  at  night,  too,  we  love  to  stand  at  the  stern  and 
watch  the  seething  caldron  which  rises  from  the 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  F.  W.  HOOPER.          43 

screw,  while  phosphorescent  sparks  fly  off  as  if  from 
a  nautical  sky-rocket.  Then,  too,  we  watch  other 
ships  that  are  floating  near  us,  and  feel,  at  fifteen 
miles  off,  a  nearness  and  companionship  which  lands- 
men cannot  appreciate. 

Yesterday,  being  our  first  Sunday  on  board,  was 
devoted  almost  entirely  to  religious  exercises.  We 
had  preaching  on  deck  at  10:30  A.M.,  by  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Witherspoon,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church ;  service 
at  4:30  P.M.,  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Cosh,  of  the  Episcopal 
Church.;  and  at  7:30  P.M.,  in  the  saloon,  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Pierce,  of  the  Methodist  Church. 

I  find  that  my  appetite  is  steadily  improving,  and 
at  night  I  sleep  as  soundly  as  I  ever  did  in  all  my 
life.  Last  night  we  had  quite  a  stiff  breeze  after  I 
had  retired,  and  some  of  our  party  had  a  little  touch 
of  sea-sickness ;  but,  with  that  exception,  we  have 
all  been  perfectly  well. 

Two  of  our  young  men  got  caught  in  a  trap  by 
the  sailors,  in  the  bow  of  the  boat.  It  seems  that 
they  draw  a  chalk-line,  and  when  any  one  passes 
over  it  he  has  to  pay  a  fine.  These  young  gents 
were,  of  course,  anxious  to  see  every  thing,  and  asked 
if  they  would  be  permitted  to  go  to  the  bow.  They 
were  politely  invited  to  do  so ;  but  on  their  return 
they  were  headed  off  by  the  jolly  tars,  who  informed 
them  that  while  they  might  pass  to  the  bow,  they 
could  not  return  except  on  condition  of  paying  the 
usual  tax  of  a  bottle  of  whisky.  This  they  did  as 
gracefully  as  possible,  and  tried  to  keep  it  a  secret; 
but  such  things  will  leak  out  on  ship-board. 

While  I  write,  a  gentleman  is  looking  over  a  list 
of  our  excursion,  and  discovers  that  twenty-one 
States  are  represented,  and  yet,  so  far,  all  has  been 
pleasant  —  politically,  socially,  and  religiously.  I 
think  at  least  half  of  us  are  correspondents  for  some 
newspaper;  so  Messrs.  Cook  &  Son  will  have  to 
keep  the  best  terms  with  all,  or  take  the  worst  jour- 


44  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

nalistic  pop-gun  stinging  that  a  naughty  boy  ever 
received.  In  regard  to  the  ship,  I  will  only  say  it 
is  splendid,  beyond  all  my  previous  conceptions. 
The  officers  are  very  polite  and  gentlemanly,  and 
the  tables  are  loaded  at  every  meal  with  the  greatest 
profusion.  We  have  also  the  privilege  of  a  bath- 
room, where  at  any  hour  wre  can  take  a  hot  or  cold 
bath  of  fresh  sea- water,  and  every  thing  around  us 
seems  to  be  pro  bono  publico. 

Wednesday,  25th. — I  wrote  the  above  on  Monday, 
and  have  been  so  busy  ever  since  doing  nothing, 
that  I  have  not  had  time  or  inclination  to  continue 
it.  "We  have  now  been  four  days  out,  and  are  more 
than  twelve  hundred  miles  from  New  York,  making 
over  three  hundred  miles  a  day.  We  have  passed 
the  Banks  of  NewFoundland,  and  are  now  "out  on 
the  ocean  sailing."  The  small  darkey  who  "rocks 
this  cradle  of  the  deep,"  finished  his  nap  night  be- 
fore last,  and  since  that  time  he  has  been  rocking 
us  most  vigorously  fore  and  aft,  as  well  as  from  star- 
board to  larboard.  Some  of  us  rather  enjoy  it,  but 
two  or  three  of  our  party  have  settled  their  fare  with 
Old  Neptune  most  generously.  I  have  not  been 
sick  at  all,  but  am  more  and  more  confirmed  in  lazi- 
ness. We  have  been  dressed  in  our  thickest  winter 
clothing,  with  our  coats  and  blankets,  arid  still  we 
cannot  keep  warm.  I  have  seen  two  whales,  and 
grampuses  innumerable.  The  grampuses  went  j  ump- 
ing  along  over  the  waves,  reminding  me  of  old  hares 
in  the  broom-sedge  fields  of  the  "free  State."  I 
only  saw  the  tails 'of  the  whales,  and  these  seemed 
to  be  about  eighteen  inches  across.  We  also  passed 
this  morning  through  a  fishing  squadron,  and  passed 
near  enough  to  one  of  the  boats  to  see  the  cod-fish— 
the  aristocracy  we  have  on  our  own  vessel.  We 
have  continued  the  usual  amusements  of  rope-quoits, 
herse-billiards,  leap-frog,  chess,  draughts,  etc.  At 
night  we  have  family  worship  in  the  saloon,  con- 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  F.  W.  HOOPER.          45 

ducted  by  the  various  ministers  in  succession.  Then 
we  have  music,  recitations,  readings,  etc.  We  had 
a  fine  entertainment  Monday  night — being  a  tale  of 
"Tildy's  first  visit  to  the  show,"  rendered  by  a 
Scotchman,  with  the  broadest  kind  of  an  accent. 

The  fare  is  admirable,  consisting  of  all  sorts  of 
meats  and  vegetables,  and  then  pastry,  fruits,  nuts. 
There  are  so  many  passengers  that  we  have  to  provide 
two  tables  at  every  meal,  and  to  save  trouble  they 
only  give  us  three  meals  a  day — breakfast  at  eight 
bells,  alias  8  A.M.;  dinner  at  four  bells,  alias  '2  P.M.; 
and  supper  at  six  bells,  alias  7  P.M.  There  is  a  fine 
piano  in  the  saloon,  and  quite  a  number  of  excellent 
performers.  Just  above  this  there  is  a  fine  library  of 
choice  literature ;  but  the  most  of  the  party  are  too 
much  occupied  with  watching  ships  and  talking  to 
read.  There  are  some  rich  specimens  of  the  school- 
marm  on  board,  and  to  see  one  of  these  keel  over 
with  sea-sickness,  and  hear  the  nasal  twang  mixing 
with  incidental  guttural  sounds,  is  a  richer  show 
than  a  circus  to  a  Lynchburg  school-boy.  But  more 
anon. 

Saturday,  28th. — This  morning  I  was  aroused  at 
3:30  o'clock  by  the  water  pouring  into  my  berth  from 
the  deck,  and  looking  out  by  broad  daylight,  I 
found  what  I  would  call  a  heavy  sea  rolling,  and  now 
and  then  a  wave  would  break  over  the  deck,  from 
stem  to  stern.  Composing  myself  as  well  as  I  could, 
I  went  to  sleep  again,  and  slept  until  breakfast-time. 
We  have  had  fine  fun  on  deck  this  morning,  as  it  is 
very  slippery,  and  the  ship  is  rocking  fearfully.  I 
found  one  lady  of  giant  proportions  sliding  across  the 
deck,  and  she  never  brought  up  until  she  hung  to  the 
ropes  at  the  side.  Stepping  forward  as  gallantly  as  I 
could,  I  offered  my  arm,  when,  starting  back,  I  found 
we  had  too  much  material  aboard,  and  before  I  had 
time  to  consider  clerical  dignity,  we  were  walking  to 
the  other  side,  and  came  to  anchor  against  a  boat,  my 


46  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

head  furnishing  the  point  of  contact.  I  then  steered 
her  for  the  gang-way,  which,  with  the  assistance  of 
a  Scotchman,  we  reached  in  safety;  and  plunging 
her  in,  I  hung  on  to  the  door  while  she  glided  all 
the  way  across — taking  in  her  furious  course  several 
old  gentlemen  and  ladies  who  were  quietly  watch- 
ing the  storm.  This  is  to  be  my  last  attempt  at 
voluntary  gallantry.  Yesterday,  and  part  of  last 
night,  we  had  all  the  sails  up  and  a  full  head  of 
steam,  and  have  been  making  fifteen  knots  an  hour 
— add  one-seventh  if  you  wish  to  reduce  it  to  miles. 

Mr.  Plagge  has  divided  our  company  into  sec- 
tions, and  while  some  of  our  party  will  go  to  Italy, 
the  most  of  us  are  in  the  fourth  section,  and  will 
spend  the  additional  ten  days  in  England  and  Ire- 
land. Several  of  the  party  have  been  so  sick,  that 
"Carry  me  back  to  OkTVirginny "  would  have 
awakened  a  flood  of  tears,  but  so  far  I  have  not 
missed  a  meal,  a  smoke,  or  a  chew.  I  will  now 
leave  this  until  I  get  in  sight  of  land. 

Monday r,  June  oQth. — Yesterday  was  pleasant,  and 
we  had  a  spread-eagle  sermon  on  deck  by  Rev.  Mr. 
Barrows,  Congregationalist,  at  10  A.M.  At  4  P.M.  Mr. 
Cook  read  "the  sermon,"  and  a  Baptist  preacher 
preached  on  "the  ark,"  a  suggestive  sermon.  At 
night  we  had  a  capital  sermon  from  Rev.  Prof. 
Cushing  (a  Methodist),  on  "You  are  laborers  to- 
gether with  God" — most  too  much  "free  agency  " 
for  me,  but  a  capital  sermon.  "We  expect  to  land 
this  evening  or  to-night,  so  if  you  ever  receive  this, 
you  may  take  it  for  granted  we  are  safe. 

EDINBURGH,  July  5,  1873. 

I  did  not  expect  to  let  so  many  days  glide  by 
without  writing  you  a  line,  but  we  have  been  on 
the  wing  ever  since  we  landed,  and  even  now  I 
must  write  hastily. 


LETTERS  PROM  EEV.  F.  "W".  HOOPER.         47 

At  Moville  we  embarked  on  a  steam-tug  under 
the  escort  of  Mr.  John  Cook,  and  on  landing  were 
met  by  Mr.  Thos.  Cook  and  a  grandson,  so  that,  as 
we  have  been  several  times  informed,  there  are 
three  generations  of  Cooks  escorting  us.  Passing 
up  Loch  Foyle,  which  soon  lessened  to  River  Foyle, 
we  passed  by  the  old  Culmore  Castle  and  church, 
which  were  standing  in  1688,  at  the  siege  of  Derry. 
There  too,  we  were  told,  the  cable  was  stretched  to 
prevent  the  Protestants  from  receiving  supplies.  It 
was  in  this  siege  that  two  thousand  persons  perished 
from  famine,  after  eating  all  kinds  of  food  to  keep 
off  starvation. 

Luckily,  leaping  into  the  cars,  we  were  whirled 
along  at  a  rapid  rate  to  Portrush.  The  scenery  is 
wild  and  beautiful.  Bold  headlands  pushing  out 
into  the  sea  and  then  sloping  off  into  fertile  fields, 
intersected  everywhere  with  hedges,  and  dotted 
with  farm-houses.  The  houses  of  the  farmers  are 
larger  and  handsomer  than  we  had  supposed,  while 
the  thatched  cottages  of  the  peasants,  with  their 
piles  of  peat,  are  scarcely  equal  to  the  negro  cabins 
which  our  slaves  once  occupied.  Flitting  through 
a  long  tunnel  on  the  lands  of  Sir  Harvey  Bruce,  we 
soon  brought  up  at  Portrush,  a  small  town  on  the 
coast,  and  were  escorted  to  the  town-hall,  where 
a  cold  lunch  awaited  us.  Standing  around  the  table 
were  fine-looking  "old  Irish  gentlemen,"  dressed  in 
swallow-tail  coats,  white  ties,  and  black  pants,  and 
some  of  our  party  thought  that  the  mayor  and  al- 
dermen of  the  town  had  turned  out  to  serve  us  at  the 
table.  But  it  turned  out  that  these  were  the  ordi- 
nary waiters,  who  would  put  Ned  Pryor  to  the  blush 
in  politeness,  and  are  more  handsomely  dressed 
than  any  clergyman  in  Lynchburg.  Passing  out  of 
the  hall  as  a  gazing  stock  for  the  whole  populace, 
we  had  our  first  experience  in  an  Irish  "jaunting- 
car.''  They  are  two- wheeled  vehicles,  with  seats 


48  A  MEMPIIIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

over  the  wheels  sideways,  and  will  accommodate 
four  persons  besides  the  driver.  Jumping  on  to 
one  at  the  head  of  the  column,  we  trotted  out  ten 
miles  to  the  Giant's  Causeway,  passing  the  Castle 
of  Dunbece,  now  in  ruins.  This  wras  the  seat  of 
the  old  feuds  between  the  O'Donnells  and  the  Mc- 
Quillians,  in  other  days,  and  was  demolished,  along 
with  thousands  of  other  places,  by  Oliver  Crom- 
well. We  also  passed  through  "Bush  Mills,"  fa- 
mous for  its  "Irish  poteen,"  or  whisky,  and  then 
through  the  lands  of  Sir  E.  McFadden,  whose  name 
our  driver  called  out  to  me  half  a  dozen  times 
without  my  understanding  him.  At  last  we  reached 
the  hotel,  and  dismounting,  had  a  rush  down  the 
cliff  for  the  boats.  Reaching  the  first  one,  we 
jumped  in,  and  three  stalwart  oarsmen  pulled  us 
out  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave,  washed  by  the  break- 
ers, while  our  guide  kept  up  an  incessant  gibberish, 
retailing  old  jokes  to  our  infinite  disgust,  and  pre- 
venting such  sentimentalism  as  the  grandeur  of  the 
scene  is  calculated  to  inspire. 

This  causeway  must  be  seen  on  the  spot  to  be  ap- 
preciated, and  when  you  sit  in  a  skiff  half  a  mile 
out  on  the  heaving  tide,  or  stand  upon  its  solid 
rocks,  you  must  be  impressed  with  its  magnificence, 
as  well  as  wonder  at  its  geological  formation.  Mil- 
lions of  stones  in  triangles,  pentagons,  hexagons, 
and  cut  in  the  most  accurate  mathematical  precision, 
form  a  solid  mass  that  even  the  ocean  itself  in  ages 
has  not  disturbed.  The  rock  is  black,  and  of  a  ba- 
saltic character,  and  as  to  who  put  it  there,  and  why 
it  was  put  there,  and  when,  I  leave  to  those  geolo- 
gists who  know  all  about  fossils  and  creation.  If 
these  rocks  have  grown  any  since  the  creation,  they 
have  preserved  their  proportions  most  marvelously, 
and  as  far  as  we  can  see  they  are  of  no  more  prac- 
tical value  than  which  I  hold  were  created  as  fossils 
when  God  said,  "Let  there  be  light."  But  I  have 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  F.  "W".  HOOPER.          49 

too  much  to  write  about  to  moralize.  Returning  to 
Portrush,  we  were  met  by  an  amateur  band  of  boys 
playing  fifes  and  drums,  who  escorted  us  in  style  to 
the  "Antrim  Arms,"  playing  "Dixie,"  and  "The 
"Bonny  Blue  Flag,"  to  the  evident  disgust  of  the 
"Maroons." 

At  twelve  o'clock  that  night  we  reached  the  Vic- 
toria, and  soon  after  steamed  up  for  Greenock,  on  the 
Clyde.  Passing  the  "Isle  of  Bute,"  and  various 
places  of  interest,  we  anchored,  and  as  quietly  as 
possible  waited  until  4  p.  M.  for  the  coming  in  of 
the  tide.  "When  this  time  arrived  two  tug-boats 
were  attached  to  the  steamer,  one  at  each  end,  to 
help  guide  her  up  the  narrow  stream,  which  is  noth- 
ing but  a  ship  canal  at  Glasgow,  and  slowly  and 
cautiously  we  glided  up  the  stream,  past  old  Dum- 
barton, and  thousands  of  iron  ships  in  process  of 
construction.  The  scenery  on  both  sides  is  beauti- 
ful. The  trees,  as  well  as  the  houses,  are  larger 
than  those  we  saw  in  Ireland,  and  cattle  were  graz- 
ing in  herds  along  the  shore  that  would  have  made 
Major  Cloyd  break  the  commandment.  Well,  after 
running  aground  several  times,  we  at  last  landed  at 
our  wharf  and  scattered  like  a  flock  of  sheep  all 
over  the  city.  Climbing  to  the  top  of  an  omnibus, 
we  paid  our  fare,  and  rode  through  several  splendid 
streets  to  George's  Square,  where  there  is  a  fine 
monument  to  Sir  Walter  Scott,  and  several  splendid 
statues,  among  them  Queen  Victoria  and  Prince 
Albert  on  horseback. 

The  next  day  Mr.  Cook  brought  around  omni- 
buses enough  to  accommodate  the  whole  party, 
and  although  it  was  raining  we  started  out,  and  vis- 
ited first  the  Cathedral.  This  is  a  splendid  structure, 
as  any  guide-book  will  inform  your  readers,  and 
abounds  in  hundreds  of  the  most  magnificent  stained 
windows,  and  is  still  used  as  a  place  for  public  wor- 
ship by  the  Established  Presbyterian  Church.  It 
3 


50  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

has  no  organs,  and  they  still  sing  Rome's  version  of 
the  Psalms.  Overlooking  this  is  a  beautiful  ceme- 
tery, where  are  buried  some  of  the  noblest  scholars 
that  have  made  Scotland  famous  in  literature.  There 
too  is  a  beautiful  monument  to  John  Knox,  sur- 
mounted by  a  splendid  statue  of  this  bold  reformer. 
I  gathered  some  daisies  at  its  base,  and  we  then 
passed  on  to  the  Botanical  Gardens,  "West  End 
Park,  etc.,  and  that  night  we  slept  our  last  sleep 
(for  the  present)  on  the  steamer.  Yesterday  we 
started  at  7:20  A.  M.,  and  stopped  for  our  breakfast 
at  Stirling.  It  was  hard  to  eat  amid  such  surround- 
ings, but  appetite  will  get  the  better  of  romance, 
and  I  am  sorry  to  say  that,  sitting  amid  all  these 
memories  of  Wallace,  Bruce,  and  the  beautiful 
Mary,  we  ate  as  heartily  as  if  we  had  been  at  home 
in  America.  Then  lighting  our  pipes,  we  strolled 
along  the  streets  that  had  rumbled  with  the  chariots 
of  kings  and  queens,  until  we  climbed  the  heights 
of  old  Stirling,  from  which  we  had  a  magnificent 
view  of  the  surrounding  country.  On  one  side  was 
the  battle-field  of  Bannockburn,  on  the  other  Stir- 
ling Bridge,  over  which  on  a  beetling  crag  was  a 
fine  monument  to  Wm.  Wallace,  while  stretching 
out  beyond  were  the  "blinks"  of  Stirling,  formed 
by  the  windings  of  the  river.  Gazing  for  some 
time  from  the  very  spot  Mary  Queen  of  Scots  had 
so  often  and  so  sadly  stood  and  gazed  and  sighed, 
was  well  calculated  to  bring  out  all  the  poetry  that 
a  man  has,  and  I  could  have  sat  there  for  hours 
musing  upon  the  past.  But  when  I  went  up  to  the 
room  where  Duncan  was  stabbed,  and  saw  the  very 
window  out  of  which  he  was  thrown,  and  the  very 
pulpit  in  which  John  Knox  preached  to  the  queen, 
and  the  communion-table  on  which  he  celebrated 
the  Lord's  Supper  not  as  a  mass,  but  as  a  memorial 
of  our  Lord,  memory,  fancy,  imagination,  reason, 
were  all  clashing  in  their  several  spheres,  and  I 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  F.  W.  HOOPER.          51 

came  away  with  a  confused,  but  hallowed,  memory 
of  that  eventful  morning. 

Starting  again,  we  went  on  to  the  Collender, 
where  we  took  the  spring-wagons  called  "wagon- 
ettes," and  drove  rapidly  through  the  Trossocks, 
a  rough  gorge  in  the  mountains,  to  Loch  Katrine, 
immortalized  by  Scott's  "Lady  of  the  Lake."  Dart- 
ing through  this  in  a  little  steamer  called  the  Eob 
Roy,  with  a  Scotch  Highlander  screeching  through 
a  bagpipe,  we  rode  five  miles  farther  in  the  "van," 
and  at  "Inversnaid,"  under  care  of  Rob  Roy,  and 
on  his  land,  we  took  the  steamer  on  "  Loch  Lomond," 
and  steaming  around  the  base  of  "Ben  Lomond," 
we  landed  near  the  Castle  of  Balloch,  where  we 
took  the  train  again,  and  at  about  9  o'clock  we 
reached  this  beautiful  city. 

LONDON,  July  11,  1873. 

I  left  your  kind  readers  at  Edinburgh,  where  we 
had  just  arrived  and  were  pleasantly  quartered  at 
the  Cockburn  hotel.  The  next  day  our  party  went 
down  to  a  public  garden  and  had  ourselves  photo- 
graphed. We  then  branched  out,  and  some  of  us 
went  first  to  Holyrood  Palace,  where  are  clustered 
many  of  the  sweetest  as  well  as  most  painful  mem- 
ories of  Scottish  history.  We  went  into  the  audience- 
chamber  of  the  faithless  but  beautiful  Queen  of 
Scots;  saw  the  bed  on  which  she  slept,  the  chairs, 
and  furniture,  so  queer  and  antique,  that  well  graced 
those  gilded  halls.  But  we  also  saw  the  fatal  private 
supper-room  where  Rizzio  was  stabbed,  and  the 
bed-chamber  through  which  he  was  dragged.  We 
also  saw  the  old  chapel  where  she  pretended  to 
worship  God,  and  memory  was  busy  as  we  stood 
among  these  enchanting  scenes.  But  leaving  this 
spot  we  rode  on  and  saw  the  old  Tolbooth,  the  orig- 
inal pillory,  the  cross  of  Edinburgh,  the  spot  where 


52  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

so  many  were  executed,  the  grave  of  John  Knox 
and  his  former  home,  the  "Heart  of  Midlothian," 
and  the  old  Grayfriars  Church,  where  the  solemn 
"League  and  Covenant"  was  signed  by  our  Presby- 
terian Fathers.  You  can,  perhaps,  imagine,  but  I 
cannot  describe,  the  feelings  that  gushed  forth  at 
all  these  strange  scenes  of  the  hoary  past.  And 
then  when  I  stood  in  the  old  castle  where  Mary 
spent  so  many  years,  and  looked  out  of  the  very 
window  of  which  she  looked  so  longingly  until  her 
son  was  born,  I  seemed  to  be  drifting  back  out  of 
the  present  into  the  centuries  that  are  gone.  But 
we  must  leave  this  guide-book  strain  and  come  back 
to  our  own  eventful  history.  This  was  Saturday, 
and  soon  after  leaving  the  castle,  whom  should  I 
meet  but  Mr.  Stuart  Robinson,  whose  greeting  was: 
"  Why,  Hooper,  where  did  you  spring  from  ?"  This 
speedily  explained,  and  we  cracked  many  a  joke 
together  before  he  left  us  at  Melrose  Abbey  on 
Monday.  He  was  coming  out  of  an  old  bookstore, 
and  had  been  reveling  in  various  discoveries  he 
had  made,  with  which  to  sting  the  Northern  breth- 
ren when  he  comes  back  from  Palestine,  whither  he 
is  bound.  I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  hear  him 
preach  the  next  day,  but  the  Lord  had  some  of  that 
kind  of  work  for  me  to  do  at  the  same  hour.  That 
night  we  had  a  "grand  conversazione,"  which 
means,  being  interpreted,  a  dinner  of  speeches  and 
a  dessert  of  music.  The  Lord  Provost  presided  and 
made  a  lame  attempt  at  a  welcome,  and  Dr.  With- 
erspoon  made  one  of  the  grandest  speeches  of  the 
kind  that  I  ever  heard.  Dr.  Davidson  also  gave  us 
a  good  task,  and  Professor  Gushing  replied.  We 
then  went  into  the  museum  building,  and  were 
entertained  by  a  magnificent  band  from  the  Castle, 
whose  revelry  was  interspersed  by  singing  by  a 
lady,  and  what  they  called  music  on  bagpipes. 
That  night  Rev.  Dr.  Arndt  invited  me  to  preach 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  F.  "W".  HOOPER.          53 

for  him,  and  as  I  could  not  well  decline,  I  did  so  to 
the  best  of  my  ability.  He  is  one  of  the  most  dis- 
tinguished men  in  Scotland,  and  is  pastor  of  the 
"Free  High  Church"  of  Edinburgh,  where  he 
wears  a  gown.  They  have  no  organ,  and  use 
Rome's  version  of  the  Psalms.  The  congregation 
was  large,  and  in  the  morning  I  was  delighted  with 
his  plain,  simple,  beautiful  expository  style.  The 
second  service  is  held  at  2:15  P.  M.,  when  I  preached, 
and  the  old  gentleman  afterward  kindly  presented 
me  with  one  of  the  numerous  volumes  which  he 
himself  has  written.  I  never  felt  smaller  than  when 
standing  in  his  pulpit,  and  preaching  to  his  im- 
mense audience,  who  came,  no  doubt,  through  curi- 
osity to  hear  an  American  preacher. 

The  next  morning,  all  too  soon,  we  started  out 
for  Melrose.  There  at  the  little  inn  some  of  us 
took  breakfast,  while  others  went  on  at  once  to  Ab- 
botsford,  the  home  of  Sir  Walter  Scott.  After 
breakfast  we  started  down  to  Melrose  Abbey,  which 
is  said  to  be  the  best  preserved  ruin  in  Scotland, 
and  which  Scott  has  immortalized  by  his  writings. 
It  must  have  been  a  grand  affair  in  the  olden  time, 
but  the  sparrows  now  build  upon  its  walls,  and  there 
is  no  sound  but  the  bleating  of  sheep  in  the  ancient 
churchyard  to  disturb  the  slumbers  of  its  sleeping 
dead.  There  we  saw  the  spot  where  is  said  to 
be  buried  the  heart  of  Robert  Bruce,  and  here  also 
the  grave  of  the  Black  Douglas,  and  I  felt  strongly 
as  I  gathered  daisies  from  above  them,  and  thought 
how  appropriately  when  we  bury  the  dead,  "Earth 
to  earth,  ashes  to  ashes,  dust  to  dust."  But  leaving 
the  old  Abbey,  we  rode  on  a  "van"  with  the  driver 
to  Abbotsford,  one  of  the  grandest  old  places  in 
Scotland.  The  whole  house  is  literally  crowded 
with  remnants  of  Scottish  history.  There  is  a  chap- 
ter from  some  old  castle,  there  the  door  out  of  the 
old  Tolbooth,  and  here  a  statue  or  a  stone  ornament 


54  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

which  this  wizard  of  romance  gathered  from  all 
quarters  of  the  kingdom,  and  then  when  wre  went 
inside,  here  we  saw  his  chain  and  desk,  his  pipes 
and  canes,  his  clothes  and  guns,  until  we  felt  as  if 
he  would  himself  come  out  to  do  honors  to  erect  an 
occasion.  But  I  must  hurry  on.  Leaving  Melrose, 
we  passed  a  long  day,  and  reached  Derby,  a  small 
town  of  sixty  thousand  inhabitants,  where  we  had 
another  grand  reception,  so-called.  The  dinner  was 
good,  but  most  of  the  speeches  were  bores,  and  es- 
pecially that  of  a  Yankee  "  chasm,"  who  had  been 
a  missionary  to  the  colored  people  in  the  foreign 
State  of  Texas.  She  piously  asked  for  the  prayers 
of  the  English,  and  so  did  Uncle  Mike  Connell  ask 
me  to  remember  him  when  we  prayed  in  a  cathe- 
dral. I  hope  all  of  us  will  remember  these  two 
subjects,  for  they  both  need  them.  That  night,  as 
you  may  imagine,  I  slept  without  rocking,  at  a  most 
delightful  hotel,  called  the  St.  James,  and  the  next 
day  we  spent  at  Alton  Towers,  owned  by  the  Earl 
of  Shrewsbury.  He  and  the  bounties  were  neces- 
sarily absent  (and  I  do  n't  blame  them),  but  we  had 
a  singing  of  the  Episcopal  service  in  the  chapel,  and 
then  walked  through  the  palace  and  grounds,  vis- 
ited the  flowery  shore,  lunched  on  the  green  with 
his  son,  Lord  Somebody,  and  a  very  fine-looking 
boy  he  is,  about  the  size  of  Lewis  Mosby,  and  the 
exact  image  of  his  sister. 

That  evening  we  came  on  to  London,  and  the 
first  man  I  met  was  Mr.  A.  McDonald,  and  we  have 
been  together  almost  all  the  time  since,  have  visited 
the  Museum,  the  Tower,  the  Crystal  Palace,  Hyde 
Park,  Buckingham  Palace,  Bank  of  England,  St. 
Paul's,  and  Westminster  Abbey.  We  have  also 
dined,  as  well  as  lunched,  with  Mr.  J.  C.  Muller,  to 
whom  I  had  an  introduction  from  Capt.  C.  W.  Stat- 
ham.  He  and  his  kind  lady  showed  us  every  atten- 
tion, and  evinced  a  hearty  hospitality, 'which  I  am 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  F.  "W.  HOOPER.          55 

sure  will  wipe  out  all  scores  that  are  against  him 
among  his  and  our  friends  in  Lynchburg.  He  is 
engaged  in  the  tobacco  business,  and  being  familiar 
with  this  great  metropolis,  it  seems  to  have  been 
his  delight  to  go  with  us  from  one  place  to  another 
that  he  thought  would  interest  us.  If  he  is  as  good 
at  business  as  he  is  at  entertaining  strangers,  he  is 
certainly  deserving  of  success. 

But  I  must  close  now  by  adding  two  more  places 
of  interest  to  which  we  have  gone  with  intense  sat- 
isfaction. One  is  the  old  Crosby  House,  once  the 
property  of  Richard  III.,  mentioned  by  Shakspeare, 
and  the  other  Madame  Tussaud's  wax-work  exhi- 
bition, which  is  so  natural  and  life-like  that  I 
almost  shuddered  as  I  looked  at  some  of  the  famil- 
iar personages  that  have  figured  in  history. 


56  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Letters  from  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Whipple,  President  of  Lansing- 
burgh  College,  New  York. 

ON  THE  STEAMER  VICTORIA,  Saturday,  June  28,  1873. 

A  WEEK  to-day  we  saw  an  acre — more  or  less — of 
kerchiefs  waving  us  a  kind  adieu  as,  without  parade  or 
cannonade,  we  quietly  glided  away  from  pier  No.  20 
down  the  harbor,  leaving  New  York  and  its  thousand 
spires  to  sink  behind  the  receding  waters.  A  good 
dinner  at  2  o'clock  lessened  the  pangs  of  hunger 
and  the  pangs  of  parting,  and  prepared  us  to  part 
with  our  pilot  off  Sandy  Hook  Light,  some  twenty- 
two  miles  from  the  city.  The  day  was  very  fair,  and 
so  were  the  following  days,  till  Friday  afternoon.  A 
storm  came  on,  which  is  still  continuing  to  keep 
most  of  the  passengers  below,  penning,  as  I  am,  to 
"friends  in  America." 

Every  moment,  thus  far,  has  been  one  of  pleasure, 
and  now,  twenty-five  hundred  miles  on  my  way,  I, 
with  most  of  the  others,  can  say  the  God  of  the 
Sea  has  dealt  kindly  with  us,  and  not  turned  our 
stomachs  into  heaving  notions.  To  describe  an 
ever-changing  sea  —  its  grand  sunset  and  sunrise 
scenery  —  its  changing,  real  and  reflected,  colors,  in 
all  their  marine  varieties  —  the  myriad  sea- fowl  that 
swim  or  skim  its  surface — the  schools  of  whale,  por- 
poise, and  grampus,  that  seem  to  be  having  a  short 
recess,  and  sporting  near  us  for  our  observation— 
the  beautiful  sail-spread  nautili  as  they,  catching  the 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.         57 

sunset  glow,  sail  by  us  toward  the  sunset — the  pass- 
ing ships  that  greet  us  kindly  with  national  flag — 
the  ocean  steamers  that  ere  this  have  reported  us — 
the  northern  lights  that  make  our  northern  sky  aglow 
with  dancing  twilight — or  the  little  ripples  that  sim- 
ply ruffle  the  surface — or  the  mighty  waves  that  just 
now  dash  against  the  cabin-light,  and  break  in, 
striking  on  the  deck  above  my  head — to  describe 
all  this,  I  say,  to  appreciating  friends,  can  be  far 
better  done  in  the  drawing-room,  with  the  voyager 
in  your  very  midst. 

Some  of  the  dryer  details  connected  with  the  ship 
Victoria  may  not,  however,  be  devoid  of  interest 
as  mere  matters  of  nautical  history.  I  came  as  a 
student  to  learn  what  I  could,  without  asking  ques- 
tions, and  after  that  to  seek  information  under  the 
not  always  pleasant  privilege  of  questioning.  Un- 
like most  of  the  party,  I  came  without  a  supply  of 
guide-books,  choosing  to  use  my  own  eyes,  and  so 
not  copy  what  I  do  not  see ;  in  other  words,  I  want 
my  own  impression.  Let  me,  then,  confine  the  rest 
of  this  letter  to  the  Victoria— 370  feet  in  length,  43 
in  breadth,  and  32  from  deck  to  keel,  drawing  just 
now  22J  feet  of  water,  with  an  engine  of  2,200  horse- 
power, the  propeller  18f  feet  in  diameter.  She  is 
steered  by  steam-power,  her  sails  hoisted  and  lowered 
by  steam,  as  well  as  cargo  taken  in  and  out  by  steam 
—3,600  tons,  a  ton  being  forty  cubic  feet  of  space; 
has  on  board  three  thousand  tons  of  cargo,  exclusive 
of  seven  hundred  tons  of  coal,  using  about  sixty 
tons  per  day;  cargo  mostly  provisions;  officers  and 
crew,  one  hundred  and  thirty ;  souls  on  board,  about 
four  hundred;  built  last  year  at  Glasgow,  costing 
$500,000 — being  one  of  thirty-six  belonging  to  the 
same  company,  perhaps  the  largest  ship-owning  com- 
pany in  the  world ;  insure  themselves.  So  far,  we 
go  about  three  hundred  miles  per  day.  Their  ways 
of  determining  the  rate  of  motion  are  three — one  bv 
3* 


53  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

solar  observation,  made  at  noon,  by  means  of  a  sex- 
tant; a  second  way,  by  a  patent  log,  so-called,  towed 
astern,  consisting  of  a  long  tube  of  brass,  with  four 
flanges  set  at  right  angles  with  the  tube;  when 
drawn  through  the  water  it  revolves  like  a  turbine 
water-wheel;  within  is  a  clock-work,  with  discs  like 
a  gasometer,  and  indices  to  tell  how  many  revolu- 
tions have  been  made  in  twenty-four  hours — a  known 
number  indicating  a  mile,  or  knot,  which  is  about 
one-seventh  more  than  a  mile.  The  third  way  is  by 
the  old-fashioned  log,  used  every  two  hours.  It  is  a 
cord  wound  on  a  reel,  with  knots  every  forty-three 
and  one-half  feet;  at  the  end  is  a  cone-shaped  can- 
vas sac,  which,  when  thrown  overboard,  fills  with 
water  and  holds  back,  drawing  the  cord  from  the 
reel.  A  sailor  stands  with  a  sand-glass  of  twenty- 
eight  seconds  duration;  from  the  moment  of  drop- 
ping the  log  till  the  sand-glass  is  empt}^  the  line  pays 
out;  then  it  is  stopped  and  hauled  in,  and  the  num- 
ber of  knots  counted  is  the  number  of  knots  per 
hour.  Yesterday,  most  of  the  time,  we  made  fifteen. 
This  must  suffice  for  the  mathematics  of  the  ship. 
Kind  readers,  please  fancy  me  writing  this,  leaning 
against  my  berth,  feet  well  braced,  swaying  to  and 
fro  through  at  least  forty-five  degrees  of  a  circle 
north  and  south,  and  half  as  many  east  and  west,  and 
you  will  excuse  me  from  more. 


GREENOCK,  ON  THE  CLYDE,  July  2,  1873. 

Since  last  the  pen  was  laid  aside  I  have  traversed 
the  northern  coast  of  Ireland,  and  am  now  waiting  a 
favorable  tide  to  Glasgow  to-night.  Let  me  tell  you 
of  yesterday's  doings,  and  you  shall  judge  whether 
a  day  of  sight-seeing  may  not  also  be  a  day  of  hard 
work.  At  about  3:15  o'clock  the  sun  rose,  and  yet 
before  it  most  of  us  were  up  to  catch  the  first  glimpse 
of  land,  and  that  land  the  far-famed  Emerald  Isle, 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.         59 

A  few  rocky  islands  first  appeared,  then  a  "sterile  and 
rock-bound  coast;"  soon  a  few  green  patches,  with 
here  and  there  low  houses.  At  8  o'clock  we  en- 
tered Loch  Foyle,  famous  where  we  entered  for  a 
huge  chain  stretched  across  its  entrance  during  the 
historic  siege  of  Londonderry  by  King  James,  in 
1689.  Lovers  of  history  will  remember  the  story. 
The  Earl  of  Mount  Alexander  received  an  anony- 
mous letter  that  on  a  certain  day  the  Protestants  of 
Ireland  were  to  be  murdered  by  the  Catholics.  He 
gave  the  alarm,  and  some  dozen  apprentice-boys 
seized  the  keys  from  the  guard,  just  as  Lord  An- 
trim's troops  reached  the  ferry-gate,  and  drew  it  up. 
Thus  began  a  siege  lasting  one  hundred  and  five 
days,  compelling  the  eating  of  dogs  and  rats.  The 
chain  or  boom  spoken  of  above  was  to  prolong  the 
siege.  One  of  the  supply-frigates,  however,  com- 
manded by  Admiral  Kirk,  dashed  with  great  force, 
and  broke  the  barrier,  but  in  the  rebound  was  thrown 
on  the  beach.  The  enemy,  rejoicing,  prepared  to 
board  her,  when,  firing  a  broadside  at  them,  she 
righted  herself  and  sailed  up  the  Foyle  to  London- 
derry, where  nearly  two  thousand  had  died  of  starva- 
tion. Taking  a  small  steamer  —  the  Heron — we 
reach  this  same  Londonderry  at  12  o'clock.  It  is  a 
city  of  twenty  thousand  inhabitants.  The  bridge 
connecting  Uxtuside,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  is  a  fine  structure,  and  made  worthy  of  note 
by  the  fact  that  it  was  built  by  an  American  in  1789. 
We  took  cars  to  Portrush,  forty  miles  away,  and 
thence  by  Irish  jaunting-cars  to  the  Giant's  Cause- 
way, a  distance  of  eight  miles.  A  brief  description 
of  these  cars  is  needed,  being  unlike  any  thing  we 
have  at  home.  I  call  them  side-saddle  carry-alls. 
They  are  two-wheeled,  with  side-seats  toeing  out- 
ward. We  sit  two  on  a  side,  back  to  back,  outside 
the  wheels,  which  are  small,  and  the  driver  imme- 
diately behind  the  horse.  When  not  in  use  the  side- 


60  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

seats  can  be  folded  up  upon  top — the  whole  on  easy 
springs.  "With  some  forty  of  these,  each  with  four 
besides  the  driver  in  it,  formed  an  American  proces- 
sion seldom  seen  on  such  aline  of  inarch.  The  roads 
are  all  excellent,  and  kept  so  by  pounded  stones. 
The  whole  country  presents  attractions  particularly 
pleasing.  Turf  fences,  with  ditches  behind,  and 
many  of  them  overgrown  with  hawthorn  hedges, 
everywhere  interlaced  the  fields.  Low  stone  houses, 
all  neatly  whitewashed,  are  the  homes  of  the  laborers. 
The  land  is  owned  by  the  nobility,  and  let  to  the 
tenants.  It  is  everywhere  carefully  tilled.  Oats, 
peas,  beans,  barley,  and  potatoes,  are  abundant;  saw 
no  orchards.  It  is  haying  time,  and  men  and  women 
are  together  in  the  fields  at  work,  with  equal  rights. 
They  looked  hale,  happy,  and  hearty.  For  eight 
miles  we  ride  through  such  scenery,  with  a  good 
driver,  who  gladly  tells  us  the  places  of  most  inter- 
est and  their  history.  For  instance,  we  pass  Dun- 
luce  Castle,  in  ruins,  the  most  picturesque  ruins  in 
Ireland,  and  perhaps  in  the  kingdom.  It  stands  on 
an  isolated  rock,  one  hundred  feet  above  the  sea, 
and  only  reached  from  the  mainland  by  a  bridge — a 
natural  bridge — eighteen  inches  wide.  It  was  built 
as  the  residence  of  the  McQuillians,  and  afterward 
of  the  McDonalds,  of  Scotland,  he  having  married 
into  the  former  family.  The  Scottish  family  are 
still  lords  of  Antrim  and  Dunluce.  This  castle  is 
the  subject  of  endless  tradition,  and  has  been  the 
scene  of  many  romantic  as  well  as  horrible  events. 

At  length  we  reach  the  object  of  our  day's  trip — 
the  Giant's  Causeway — quite  unlike  my  anticipation. 
All  the  way  from  Portrush  we  have  been  near  the 
sea,  on  bluffs  two  and  three  hundred  feet  high, 
mostly  of  limestone,  here  and  there  deeply  washed 
into,  and  forming  many  wild  caverns,  through  which 
the  roaring  sea  makes  wild  music.  When  we 
reached  the  terminus  we  found  the  bluff  increased 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.         61 

to  five  hundred  feet  somewhat  back,  leaving  ample 
room  to  go  down  among  the  basaltic  rocks  which,  in 
their  regular  arrangement  and  structure,  give  it  its 
name.  To  get  a  full  view,  we  take  a  guide  and 
boat,  and  go  out  among  the  rocks  and  coves  at  some 
risk,  as  the  swells  are  constantly  tossing  us  among 
the  rocks;  indeed,  one  corpulent  lady  fell  into  the 
sea,  and  was  with  some  difficulty  rescued  by  two 
sailors,  who  jumped  in  to  aid  her.  The  basaltic 
promontory  reaches  some  one  thousand  feet  into  the 
sea.  Man's  art  could  hardly  rival  the  nicety  with 
which  the  prisms  n't  each  other.  We  can  easily  be- 
lieve when  told  we  walk  over  some  forty  thousand 
of  these  polished  columns.  We  cannot  tell  all  the 
legends  connected  with  the  Giant's  Well,  the  Por- 
toon  Cave,  the  Dunkerry  Cave,  the  Giant's  Amphi- 
theater, Chimney  Tops,  and  Gateway,  which  our 
broguish  guide  told  us,  to  say  nothing  of  his  second 
eighteen-year-old  wife  and  his  seventeen  children. 
Here  cometh  the  legend  of  the  origin  of  the  Giant's 
Causeway,  or  cause- why:  The  giant,  Finn  McCoul, 
was  the  champion  of  Ireland,  and  felt  very  much 
aggrieved  at  the  insolent  boasting  of  a  certain  Cale- 
donian giant,  who  offered  to  beat  all  who  came  be- 
fore him,  and  even  dared  to  tell  Finn  that  if  it  were 
not  for  the  wetting  of  himself,  he  would  swim  over 
and  give  him  a  drubbing.  Finn  at  last  applied  to 
the  king,  who  not,  perhaps,  daring  to  question  the 
doings  of  such  a  mighty  man,  gave  him  leave  to  con- 
struct a  causeway  right  across  to  Scotland,  on  which 
the  Scot  walked  over  and  fought  the  Irishman.  Finn 
turned  out  victor,  and,  with  an  amount  of  generos- 
ity quite  becoming  his  Hibernian  descent,  kindly 
allowed  his  former  rival  to  marry  and  settle  in  Ire- 
land, which  the  Scot  was  nothing  loth  to  do,  seeing 
that  at  that  time  living  in  Scotland  was  none  of  the 
best;  and  everybody  knows  that  Ireland  is  the 
richest  country  in  the  world.  Since  the  death  of 


62  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

the  giants,  the  causeway,  being  no  longer  wanted, 
has  sunk  under  the  sea,  only  leaving  a  portion  of 
itself  visible  here,  and  a  trifle  at  the  Island  of  Rath- 
lin  and  the  portals  of  the  grand  gate  on  Staffa. 
After  six  we  retraced  our  course  to  Portrush,  where 
we  stopped  awhile  to  look  at  a  nice  granite  monu- 
ment reared  in  memory  of  Dr.  Adam  Clarke,  the 
great  Methodist  preacher,  and  author  of  those  com- 
mentaries so  long  the  authority  of  Bible  students. 
"We  shall  have  occasion  to  remember  Portrush,  for, 
on  our  arrival,  at  2  p.  M.,  and  before  going  to  the 
Causeway,  we  were  met  by  a  band  of  music,  and 
escorted  to  'the  town-hall,  where  a  sumptuous  ban- 
quet was  in  store  for  us,  though  we  were  one  day 
ahead  of  time.  Englishmen,  in  white  vests  and 
aprons,  aided  us  beyond  what  we  were  able  to  help 
ourselves  to  good  things.  We  had  new  potatoes, 
grown  here  this  summer — this  nearly  fifty-five  de- 
grees north.  Amusement  mingled  with  the  dinner 
at  the  expense  of  a  few  more  greed}7  for  the  good 
things  than  the  others.  By  way  of  amusement,  on 
the  table  was  a  new  something  shaped  like  an 
inverted  bowl,  with  a  tea  saucer  on  the  top  filled 
with  candies  and  goodies;  the  whole  structure  was 
white,  like  frosted  cake.  Our  eager  gourmands  cut 
into  it;  it  was  white  and  hard  like  tallow;  visions 
of  something  good  and  new  whetted  the  appetites 
of  the  tasters.  A  sudden  elevation  of  nose,  and 
upturning  of  lips,  with  a  look  around  to  see  if  any- 
body was  watching  them,  plainly  indicated  that 
they  had  sold  themselves  for  naught — but  tallow; 
that  it  was,  and  nothing  more. 

At  twelve,  midnight,  we  reached  the  Victoria, 
found  supper  waiting,  and  at  one,  after  twenty-two 
hours  of  day,  sought  our  berths. 

GLASGOW,  SCOTLAND,  July  3,  1873. 
We  reached  this  place  yesterday,  coming  up  the 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.         63 

Clyde — for  the  most  part  man  made  the  river,  for, 
said  a  Scotchman  as  we  were  sailing  up,  "My  grand- 
mother when  a  girl  could  step  across  it  at  Glasgow." 
It  has  been  dug  and  deepened  like  a  canal,  till  now 
it  is  the  second  shipping  port  in  Great  Britain,  as 
well  as  the  second  city  of  commercial  importance. 
Our  approach  to  it  was  interesting;  among  other 
places  passing  the  death  and  burial-place  of  Robert 
Bruce,  and  the  famous  Dumbarton  Castle,  where 
for  a  long  time  Wallace,  of  Scottish  history,  had 
his  dwelling-place.  It  is  five  hundred  and  sixty 
feet  high,  and  a  mile  in  circumference,  a  huge 
double-peaked  rock  rising,  almost  completely  sur- 
rounded, from  the  river,  or  rather  from  the  junction 
of  the  Clyde  and  Leven  Rivers.  It  is  entered  by  a 
gate  at  the  bottom,  and  within  among  the  relics  is 
Wallace's  two-handed  sword,  five  and  one-half  feet 
in  length.  Its  history  is  part  of  that  of  this  country. 
A.  little  farther  up  the  river  we  pass  the  remains  of 
an  old  tower,  ivy-clad,  from  the  midst  of  which 
rises  a  lofty  monumental  shaft,  on  which  we  read  as 
we  passed,  "Henry  Bell."  He  was  the  builder  of 
the  first  steam-boat  on  the  Clyde,  now  a  river  on 
which  more  iron  steam-boats  are  made  than  in  all 
the  world  beside.  Held  in  memory,  beside  a  wharf 
just  above  the  monument,  was  the  "Industry," 
the  second  steam-boat  built  here;  the  first  was  called 
the  "Comet."  On  and  on  we  sailed,  looking  right 
and  left  upon  some  of  those  beautiful  farms  and 
lawns  of  which  we  have  read;  mansions,  parks,  and 
surroundings  indicating  wealth,  culture,  and  age. 
Our  winding  way  was  somewhat  new,  and  perhaps 
worthy  of  description.  As  the  Clyde  is  very  nar- 
row, we  had  a  steam-tug  ahead  and  one  astern  of  us, 
so  that  when  the  Victoria  would  turn  in  some  of 
the  windings,  one  tug  would  pull  the  prow  of  the 
great  ship  one  way,  and  the  one  at  the  stern  pull 
the  other  way.  Thus  we  entered  the  city,  passing 


64  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

ship-yard  after  ship-yard,  where  the  building  of  the 
ocean  steamers  gives  employment  to  many  thousand 
men.  Iron  steamers  we  could  see  in  all  stages  of 
structure,  from  iron  keels,  and  iron  ribs,  and  iron 
lungs,  iron  sides  and  iron  decks,  iron  wheels  and 
iron  ropes;  and  the  clatter  and  clangor  of  ten  thou- 
sand iron  hammers,  mingled  with  the  puffing  and 
piping  steam-boats,  and  the  oft-repeated  cheers  of 
merry  passengers  on  outward-bound  ships,  all  served 
to  fill  the  mind  with  new  delights. 

Glasgow  is  the"  most  prosperous  city  in  Scotland; 
and  in  wealth,  population,  and  commercial  impor- 
tance is  now  the  second  in  the  United  Kingdom; 
in  external  appearance  elegant  and  impressive,  sub- 
stantially built  and  regular  in  arrangement.  It  is 
in  the  vicinity  of  extensive  coal-fields,  and  has 
ready  access  by  the  Clyde  and  the  canal  to  the 
Atlantic  and  German  Oceans.  Its  present  harbor, 
called  the  Broomielaw,  is  a  basin  of  about  fifty 
acres,  with  fine  quays,  and  deep  enough  for  the 
largest  vessels.  Glasgow  first  grew  wealthy  in  the 
tobacco  trade,  and  the  prosperous  men  were  called 
tobacco  lords.  This  trade  failing,  the  cotton  trade 
took  its  place,  and  prosperity  made  this  city  master 
of  the  cotton  situation.  Competition  withdrew  the 
trade  after  awhile;  and  then,  turning  attention  to 
iron  ship-building,  she  now  rules  the  world  in  this 
line  of  manufactures,  and  more  than  one-half  a 
million  people  occupy  her  dwellings.  The  one 
great  object  of  interest  to  the  tourist  here  is  the 
Cathedral,  founded  more  than  seven  hundred  years 
ago.  So  far  it  is  the  grandest  structure  I  have 
entered — massive,  well-proportioned,  and  beautiful. 
Sixteen  years  ago  all  the  windows  were  put  in 
anew,  richly  colored,  and  enough  of  them  to  give  a 
pictorial  history  of  Bible  scenes  commencing  with 
Adam  and  coming  down  through  all  subsequent 
sacred  history  far  this  side  of  our  Saviour's  death 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.         65 

and  ascension.  As  works  of  art,  and  specimens  of 
beautiful  coloring,  they  can  hardly  be  surpassed; 
the  perfection  and  richness  of  the  colors  can  hardly 
be  surpassed;  the  perfection  and  richness  of  the 
colors  is  worthy  of  all  praise;  but  as  true  represen- 
tations of  Bible  facts  they  are  not  trustworthy.  For 
instance,  the  prodigal  son  has  a  richer  coloring  to 
his  robes  than  the  silks  and  satins  of  to-day,  and 
the  poor  widow  dropping  her  mites  into  the  treasury 
has  an  elegance  of  drapery  that  the  greatest  devotee 
of  modern  fashion  might  envy;  and  our  Saviour,  the 
man  without  comeliness,  and  the  poor  he  came  to 
help,  all  are  clothed  in  bright  and  shining  garments. 
Pictorial  truth  and  history  here  disagree,  and  yet 
the  colored  tracing  on  the  windows  is  strikingly 
beautiful.  Adjoining  the  Cathedral  is  the  Necrop- 
olis, a  cemetery,  in  which  are  many  beautiful  mon- 
uments of  men  renowned  in  history.  Take  that  of 
John  Knox,  whose  power  as  a  reformer  the  world 
well  knows.  Here  also  is  a  monument  to  John 
Dick,  the  Christian  philosopher;  through  such  men 
Scotland  became  Protestant,  and  the  Cathedral  is 
now  Presbyterian,  as  this  is  the  Established  Church 
of  Scotland.  As  elsewhere,  so  here,  Cromwell 
meant  to  destroy  this  cathedral,  and  but  for  the  de- 
termined resistance  of  one  man  it  would  have  been 
accomplished.  Perhaps  the  most  attractive  building 
in  Glasgow  is  the  Royal  Exchange,  built  in  1829, 
noted  for  its  decorative  architecture;  and  in  front 
of  it  is  an  equestrian  statue  in  bronze  of  the  Duke 
of  Wellington,  costing,  by  subscription,  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars.  George's  Square,  the  largest  in  the 
city,  incloses  many  monuments;  one  to  Sir  Walter 
Scott  is  a  Doric  column,  eighty  feet  in  height,  with 
his  statue  on  the  top.  At  one  corner  of  the  square 
is  a  bronze  statue  of  James  Watt;  in  another  cor- 
ner, one  to  Sir  Robert  Peel,  while  within  the  square 
are  bronze  statues  to  Sir  John  Moore  and  Lord 


66  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Clyde,  both  natives  of  Glasgow.  But  I  may  not 
dwell  on  the  works  of  man  in  the  city.  We  take 
cars  and  stages  for  mountain  and  lake  scenery;  and 
it  will  not  be  uninteresting  to  your  readers  who  have 
read  "The  Lady  of  the  Lake,"  to  know  that  we  fol- 
lowed in  the  very  track  of  Fitz  James,  in  his  chase 
along  the  shores  of  Loch  Achray  and  Loch  Katrine, 
through  the  Trossachs,  and  among  the  bold  moun- 
tain peaks  of  Ben  Nevis  and  Ben  Lomond.  Such  ' 
mountains,  piled  in  confused  grandeur  around  such 
beautiful  lakes,  and  such  charming  islands  as  Ellen's 
Isle,  have  never  before  made  such  pleasing  impres- 
sions on  my  eyes,  or  called  forth  such  sublime  emo- 
tion from  my  heart.  The  whole  region  round  about 
is  made  classic  by  the  genius  of  Scott,  whose  stories 
have  their  truth  and  illustration  in  these  wild  moun- 
tains and  lovely  lakes.  It  was  amid  such  scenery  as 
this  we  spent  the  Fourth  of  July,  and  many  a  hearty 
cheer  went  echoing  along  the  lakes  and  up  the 
mountains  as  from  time  to  time  we  caught  sight  of 
some  little  American  flag  that  friends  waved  to  us 
as  we  passed  their  pleasure  parties  or  their  wild 
mountain  homes;  for  our  coming  is  known  in  ad- 
vance along  the  whole  journey.  It  was  a  glorious 
Fourth,  though  we  wore  overcoats  all  the  day.  We 
have  seen  the  glory  of  the  natural  Scotland. 


BRUSSELS,  July  11,  1873. 

Kind  readers,  once  more  I  take  up  the  pen  to  re- 
cord some  of  the  scenes  through  which  I  have 
passed  in  the  last  few  days.  At  Edinburgh  we  spent 
two  days  —  Saturday  and  Sunday.  On  Saturday 
we  visited  the  castle  overlooking  the  city.  Here  a 
bird's-eye  view  of  the  capital  city  amply  repays  the 
toil  of  climbing  to  it.  Only  those  who  have  visited 
castles  on  the  eminences  of  Scotland  can  form  a 
very  clear  conception  of  its  size  and  strength.  It  is 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WIIIPPLE.         67 

one  of  four  kept  in  repair  and  use  in  Scotland.  In 
this  one  are  kept  the  crown  and  crown-jewels  of 
Scotland.  Here  are  the  rooms  occupied  by  kings 
and  queens.  We  were  shown  the  rooms  down  from 
the  window  of  which,  in  a  basket,  descended  the 
infant  James,  afterward  king.  Lovers  of  such  rem- 
nants of  royalty  may  gaze  with  wonder  at  them  if 
they  will.  I  am  interested  in  them  only  so  far  as 
they  help  to  give  history  of  the  past  a  greater  fresh 
ness  and  reality.  We  pass  to  the  occupied  palace 
of  Holyrood,  where  we  see  the  massive  walls  re- 
quired to  preserve  the  sacred  persons  of  royalty. 
We  see  where  kings  and  queens  have  been  born  and 
murdered — where  queens  were  kept  as  prisoners,  or 
danced  in  rooms  adorned  with  paintings  of  royal 
ancestors.  We  see  a  splendid  fountain,  where  a  few 
years  since  stood  a  statue  of  Queen  Victoria,  so 
poorly  executed  that  Prince  Albert  had  it  buried  six 
feet  under  the  horse-stable,  to  be  dug  up  by  some 
future  generation,  with  as  much  wonder  as  the  Car- 
diff Giant. 

We  gaze  with  admiration  on  the  splendid  monu- 
ments of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  Robert  Burns,  and 
others  whom  man  delights  to  honor.  We  go  to 
church  on  the  Lord's  day,  and  hear  a  good,  sound 
sermon  in  the  Tron  Church,  from  Rev.  Mr.  McGregor, 
D.D.,  in  true  Scottish  Presbyterian  style,  as  to  dress 
reforms. 

Monday  morning  we  start  for  Abbotsford,  the 
home  of  Sir  Walter  Scott.  Here  we  spent  some 
hours  looking  through  armorial  halls,  halls  of  paint- 
ings, and  his  library  of  twenty  thousand  volumes; 
saw  the  many  presents  from  time  to  time  given  him 
by  fond  admirers  of  his  genius;  then,  without,  we 
walked  through  ample  grounds  made  beautiful  by 
his  own  genius,  and  left  with  a  pleasant  picture  in 
the  mind  of  the  palace  of  Abbotsford,  on  the  Tweed. 

Next,  Melrose  Abbey  took  an  hour  of  our  time  in 


68  A  MEM  nil  AN 's  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

looking  at  its  still  wonderful  ruins,  once  the  finest 
cathedral  in  all  Scotland.  Within  it  is  buried  the 
heart  of  Bruce;  for  they  have  a  strange  way  over 
here  of  satisfying  the  Cathedral's  desire  for  royal 
remains,  by  giving  part  of  the  body  to  one,  and 
another  to  another — and  parts  or  the  whole  of  still 
earlier  kings.  Besides  a  burial-place  of  royalty,  it  is 
remarkable  for  its  architecture,  beautiful  in  its  ruins 
— the  fine  sculpture  in  stone,  and  the  climbing  ivy 
to  the  very  top,  here  and  there  adorning  it  with 
living  green. 

Taking  the  cars,  we  are  hurried  along  through 
garden-like  fields,  where  every  rod  is  well  tilled,  and 
grain-fields  yellow  with  wild  mustard,  and  red  with 
the  poppy — here  a  troublesome  weed.  Next  we  pass 
into  an  uncultivated  region  —  the  Downs  —  huge 
sheep-pastures,  where  for  miles  we  see  neither  tree, 
nor  fence,  nor  house;  only  sheep-cotes,  and  shep- 
herds watching  their  flocks  far  away  on  the  plain,  or 
up  the  mountain  sides.  Hours  pass,  and  we  find 
ourselves  in  the  coal  regions.  Hillsides  and  valleys 
are  black  with  bituminous  coal,  and  busy  thousands 
are  engaged  in  bringing  it  to  the  surface.  We  skip 
the  city  of  Manchester,  and  pass  through  Sheffield, 
noted  for  its  cutlery  manufactories.  All  along  the 
country  is  darkened  by  the  smoke  of  so  many  iron- 
making  furnaces,  that,  as  I  gaze  at  all  this — the  mere 
outside — I  am  inclined  to  think  that,  as  an  agricul- 
tural people,  they  are  busily  engaged  in  raising — 
coal;  and  in  like  manner,  their  chief  manufacture 
is — smoke. 

At  7:80  P.  M.  we  enter  Derby,  to  find  the  streets 
and  depot  crowded  with  thousands  of  men,  women, 
and  children,  gathered  there  to  see  "the  Ameri- 
cans." We  are  a  hundred  and  fifty,  and  our  coming 
is  known ;  for  in  the  spacious  halls  of  the  Midland 
Railroad  Station  has  been  provided  our  dinner.  His 
Honor  the  Mayor  presides,  surrounded  by  other 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.         69 

dignitaries  of  the  city.  Here  we  have  a  real  English 
test  of  hospitality  —  good  things  in  abundance  ^  to 
eat,  beautiful  flowers  to  adorn  the  table,  English 
and  American  flags  to  embellish  the  room,  and 
English  men  and  women  to  eat  and  drink  with  us  in 
friendly  cheer.  Drinking  toasts  to  the  Queen  and 
the  President,  and  the  others,  with  speeches  of  wel- 
come and  the  replies,  filled  up  the  time  till  11  o'clock, 
when  we,  tired,  sought  our  beds. 

Next  morning  we  were  borne  onward  by  cars — an 
especial  train  of  twelve  cars,  which,  thus  far,  has 
been  at  our  disposal — to  Alton  Towers.  Here  is  the 
palatial  home  of  the  Earl  of  Shrewsbury — the  pre- 
mier or  first  Earl  in  rank  in  England,  though  not 
the  wealthiest,  having  an  income  of  only  X50,000, 
or  $250,000 — the  owner  of  several  estates  like  this, 
some  twenty-five  miles  in  length  by  five  or  more  in 
breadth.  His  income  is  from  the  rental  of  his 
lands,  averaging  about  five  dollars  an  acre  for  what 
is  good  enough  to  let.  We  were  met  by  his  private 
brass  band,  and  escorted  by  them  to  the  chapel, 
where  for  an  hour  we  gazed  on  the  rich  adornments 
of  the  spacious  room,  or  listened  to  the  true  English 
style  of  service.  After  this  we  were  guided  through 
splendid  halls,  made  so  by  paintings  of  ancestors  and 
royal  personages,  sculpture  such  as  only  the  wealthy 
can  purchase,  and  furniture  massive  and  elegant. 
Room  after  room  was  shown  to  us,  though  at  every 
door  stood  a  soldier  on  guard.  Next  we  wandered 
through  sixty  acres  of  the  prettiest  garden  scenery 
I  ever  saw.  Flowers  of  every  kind,  in  all  conceiva- 
ble places — in  dells,  caverns,  or  terraces,  in  ponds, 
in  hot-houses,  with  towers,  Swiss  cottages,  Chinese 
towers — all  extremely  beautiful,  and  not  easily  de- 
scribed. A  great  flower-show  was  held  at  the  same 
time,  in  tents  within  the  garden,  to  which  all  the 
people  from  the  country  round  had  gathered.  This 
show  is  like  our  fair,  in  this :  the  show  is  limited 


70  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

to  flowers  and  plants,  for  which  prizes  are  offered. 
So  on  gathered  and  skillfully-arranged  flowers  we 
gazed  in  pleasure.  Next,  in  a  tent  with  our  flag 
above  it,  the  Earl  gave  us  a  dinner,  followed,  as  at 
Derby,  with  toasts  and  speeches.  At  9  o'clock  we 
were  in  London. 


LETTER  FROM  Miss  HATTIE  STANAKD.        71 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Letter  from  Miss  Hattie  Stanard,  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

GLASGOW,  SCOTLAND,  July  3,  1873. 

EDITOR  IOWA  SCHOOL  JOURNAL: — Yes,  at  last  we 
have  realized  our  fondest  hopes — we  have  been 
tossed  on  the  mountain  waves  of  the  broad  Atlan- 
tic— we  are  in  Europe.  And  yet  with  all  that,  we 
would  not  forget  our  promise  to  the  Iowa  School 
Journal;  for  we  have  pleasant  recollections  of  the 
past,  and  do  not  wish  to  be  forgotten  by  our  Iowa 
friends.  After  tearing  ourselves  away  from  them 
on  that  memorable  Wednesday  afternoon,  we  went 
into  the  car,  and  after  watering  a  bouquet  that  had 
been  pressed  into  our  hand  at  the  last  moment  with 
a  few  te^rs — not  from  any  sense  of  duty,  but  be- 
cause we  had  a  cinder  in  our  eye,  for  our  thoughts 
were  really  too  sad  to  find  the  relief  that  tears 
bring — we  concluded  that  we  had  been  as  miserable 
as  we  could,  so  we  ended  that  scene  and  have  had 
a  good  time  ever  since. 

We  spent  one  day  in  Cleveland,  Ohio;  and  right 
here  let  me  say,  if  any  of  our  friends  ever  stop  in 
that  beautiful  city,  be  sure  to  ride  out  on  Euclid 
street.  We  think  it  one  of  the  handsomest  streets 
to  be  found  in.America. 

At  Niagara  we  spent  one  day  listening  to  the 
"Thunder  of  Waters,"  and  the  everlasting  "Have 
your  picture  taken?  Do  it  cheaper  than  any  one 
else;  only  three  dollars  and  a-half."  We  could 


72  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

enjoy  it  for  fifty  or  sixty  times,  but  there  was  a 
great  deal  of  sameness  about  it  when  we  heard  it  at 
every  step  (we  refer  to  the  latter).  We  could  listen 
to  Niagara  forever,  and  it  would  always  remind  us 
of  the  power  and  greatness  of  Him  who  hath  made 
all  things,  the  small  as  well  as  the  great,  and  who 
careth  for  all. 

We  enjoyed  the  day  very  much,  and  especially 
when  we  were  done  up  in  an  oil-cloth  hood  and 
frock,  accompanied  by  some  high  rubber  boots,  and 
went  under  the  falls,  helped  along  by  a  good-na- 
tured guide,  who  every  once  in  a  while  said,  "How 
do  you  like  it  as  far  as  you  have  gone  ?"  At  half- 
past  five  P.  M.  we  left  for  New  York  by  way  of  the 
Hudson  River.  Were  somewhat  disappointed  with 
the  scenery  on  the  Hudson;  having  heard  so  much 
in  its  favor,  we  expected  more  than  we  saw.  Ar- 
rived in  the  metropolis  about  noon,  Friday.  Spent 
the  afternoon  in  Central  Park;  would  have  liked  a 
week  to  spend  there,  but  no,  the  time  had  come, 
the  most  eventful  day,  thus  far,  of  our  lives,  when 
we  were  to  sail  on  our  first  ocean  voyage;  and  it 
was  with  every  hope  inspired  that  we  were  carried 
out  of  the  hotel  in  the  arms  of  the  accommodating 
porter,  loaded  into  a  hack,  and  driven  to  pier  num- 
ber twenty,  where  we  went  aboard  the  Victoria, 
our  home  for  the  next  nine  days. 

We  have  a  fine  steamer,  and  every  thing  more 
than  meets  our  expectations.  A  jolly  company  of 
one  hundred  and  forty-five,  representing  twenty- 
three  states  of  the  Union,  good  state-rooms,  oblig- 
ing officers,  stewards,  and  stewardesses;  nice  things 
to  eat,  and  0  such  an  appetite !  We  think  the 
Anchor  Line  will  not  make  very  •much  off  this 
company,  we  are  too  regular  at  meals,  and  there 
has  been  so  little  sea-sickness.  What  we  miss  most 
at  table  is  the  bread.  When  we  asked  a  pensive- 
looking  steward,  "Why  is  this  thus?"  his  eyes 


LETTER  FROM  Miss  HATTIE  STANARD.        73 

brightened  (they  like  to  tell  stories),  and  straight- 
ening himself  back,  he  said,  "Once  we  had  a  baker, 
we  trusted  him,  but  away  back  in  New  York  he 
got  angry,  went  off  on  a  spree,  and  just  as  the  ves- 
sel was  about  to  leave  he  rushed  aboard,  seized  the 
yeast,  and  yeast  nor  man  has  ever  been  heard  of 
since,  madam."  Then  drawingalongsigh,  he  walked 
slowly  back  to  the  regions  of  cookerydom,  in  a  way 
that  would  cause  us  to  never  mention  bread  again. 
We  have  heard  of  some  who  doubted  the  story,  but 
we  believe  it;  we  feel  sure  that  that  steward  "can- 
not tell  a  lie,  pa." 

This  is  the  first  time  crossing  the  ocean  for  the 
most  of  our  party,  and  life  on  ship-board  is  so  dif- 
ferent from  what  we  had  thought,  that  with  all  our 
guide-books  and  kind  advice  from  friends,  we  find 
that  one  needs  to  make  one  trip  across  in  order  to 
know  how  to  go  and  what  to  take.  I  think,  how- 
ever, that  the  most  of  us  remembered  to  leave  our 
formality  at  home,  as  well  as  our  Sunday  clothes. 
For  amusements  we  have  occasionally  a  shark, 
whale,  or  porpoise,  and  in  the  evening,  after  devo- 
tional exercises,  we  usually  have  something  literary, 
and  then  games  of  all  sorts,  "and  yet  we  are  not 
happy,"  for  we  have  not  been  sea-sick,  and  are  afraid 
we  may  die  without  ever  knowing  what  the  feeling 
is.  It  is  quite  amusing  to  see  the  different  kinds  of 
sea-sick  people.  Some  went  to  their  berths  at  once, 
even  before  the  steamer  sailed,  though  for  two  days 
the  sea  was  very  calm — no  more  motion  than  on  a 
river — but  they  were  afraid  they  might  be  sick. 
Others  kept  several  kinds  of  remedies  on  hand,  and 
would  take  a  sip  of  each  every  once  in  a  while. 
The  only  wonder  to  me  is  that  there  is  as  much  left 
of  them  as  there  is.  Some  lie  whining  in  their 
state-rooms,  and  their  friends  take  them  huge  plates 
of  raisins,  figs,  nuts,  etc.  Their  only  wish  is  that 
they  were  back  on  land  again,  and  I  think  it  is  all 
4 


74  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 

the  wish  their  fellow-passengers  have  for  them. 
Others  look  cross,  and  grumble.  We  think  their 
only  wish  is  to  be  let  alone.  This  latter  class  is 
composed  mostly  of  the  stronger-minded.  We  saw 
one  of  them,  a  man  (they  are  mostly  men),  dragged 
about  the  deck  in  spite  of  himself  for  nearly  an 
hour,  by  two  large  females.  The  majority  belong 
to  a  more  sensible  class,  who  stay  as  much  as  pos- 
sible in  the  pure  air,  enjoy  every  thing  there  is  to 
be  enjoyed,  and  forget  to  be  sick.  Perhaps  it  is  the 
novelty,  but  we  think  the  two  Sabbaths  spent  on 
the  ocean  among  the  pleasantest  of  our  lives.  Of 
all  places,  there  seems  to  be  no  place  more  appro- 
priate, or  more  natural,  to  worship  God  than  on  the 
deck  of  an  ocean  steamer,  for  then  do  we  see  how 
completely  we  are  in  his  power,  and  those  who 
have  never  trusted  him  before  it  seems  must  trust 
him  there. 

The  first  Sabbath  services  were  conducted  in  the 
morning  by  Rev.  Mr.  Witherspoon,  of  University 
of  Virginia.  After  reading  that  beautiful  104th 
Psalm,  and  all  joining  in  singing  "  Rock  of  Ages," 
he  discoursed  on  the  reasonableness  of  being  a 
Christian;  then  all  sang  "Nearer,  my  God,  to  thee." 
When  we  heard  those  voices  of  different  nationali- 
ties, and  from  nearly  every  state  in  the  Union,  join- 
ing in  those  beautiful  hymns,  we  understood  the 
meaning  of  the  "communion  of  saints."  The  ser- 
mon on  last  Sabbath  was  not  less  interesting — given 
by  Rev.  Mr.  Barrows.  Text:  "Come  unto  me  all 
ye  that  are  weary  and  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give 
you  rest."  We  were  sorry  and  disgusted  to  see 
teachers  forming  little  religious  "rings,"  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopals  in  one  group,  the  Presbyterians  in 
another,  Episcopalians  in  another,  etc.  Only  thir- 
teen preachers  aboard — five  Presbyterian,  four  Meth- 
odist Episcopal,  two  Congregational,  one  Baptist, 
one  Episcopalian. 


LETTER  FROM  Miss  HATTIE  STANARD.        75 

Here  we  do  not  look  at  the  clock  for  the  time, 
but  listen  for  the  bells:  One  bell,  one-half  o'clock; 
two  bells,  one  o'clock;  three  bells,  half-past  one; 
four  bells,  two  o'clock;  five  bells,  half-past  two;  six 
bells,  three  o'clock;  seven  bells,  half-past  three; 
eight  bells,  four  o'clock;  then  commence  at  one 
bell  again. 

The  first  few  days  out  the  sea  was  very  calm,  and 
when  we  touched  the  Gulf  Stream  the  atmosphere 
was  warm,  the  water  a  beautiful  green,  quite  differ- 
ent from  the  dark  blue  of  the  ocean.  About  the 
fourth  day  there  came  up  a  stiff  gale,  and  then  the 
ship  was  " rolled  to  larboard,  rolled  to  starboard." 
At  night  we  would  go  to  our  berths  thinking  of 
what  Grace  Greenwood  thought  when  trying  to 
sleep  in  Sacramento  during  the  earthquake,  "Rock 
me  to  sleep,  mother,"  only  we  thought  father, 
instead  of  mother.  We  heard  of  one  "bloated 
aristocrat"  who  was  rolled  out  of  his  berth,  but 
when  we  saw  his  robust  form,  we  were  surprised 
that  he  could  stay  in  in  the  calmest  night,  and  did 
not  blame  old  ocean.  Life  at  sea  is  an  exceedingly 
lazy  life.  Some  came  on  board  with  "  stern  deter- 
mination flashing  in  their  eagle  eyes,"  and  carrying 
huge  portfolios,  books,  fancy-work,  and  we  saw  one 
lady  with  sewing  the  second  day ;  but  before  the 
third  day  was  ended  this  enterprising  woman,  like 
all  the  rest,  had  subsided,  as  far  as  work  was  con- 
cerned, and  had  gone  to  sucking  lemons.  There 
are  two  things — the  ocean,  and  a  sunset  on  the 
ocean — that  we  will  not  attempt  to  describe,  feeling 
sure  that  if  we  did  it  would  be  a  failure.  There  is 
something  too  grand  about  them  to  express.  It 
must  be  seen  to  be  appreciated,  and  then  we  think 
it  will  never  leave  one's  memory. 

We  landed  off  Moville,  July  1st,  after  making 
the  shortest  trip  ever  made  by  the  Anchor  Line. 
There  we  met  Mr.  Cook,  junior,  who  had  his  ar- 


76  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

ratigements  all  made  for  the  day,  and  took  us  in  a 
tug  to  Londonderry,  eighteen  miles,  a  nice  place  of 
twenty  thousand  inhabitants,  where  we  took  the 
train  for  Portrush, ^thirty  miles,  passing  through 
Colraine,  an  old  place,  but  nothing  of  particular  in- 
terest to  be  seen.  The  railway  carriages  are  very 
different  from  our  cars,  and  we  think  pleasanter, 
being  smaller  and  more  secluded.  They  do  not 
have  conductors  here  on  the  cars,  but  guards,  and 
no  boys  go  through  the  trains  selling  pea-nuts,  prize 
packages,  etc.  Portrush  is  the  stopping-place  for 
visitors  to  the  Giant's  Causeway,  and  there  are 
many  things  of  interest  there  besides  the  causewray. 
After  a  nice  lunch,  and  a  short  speech  from  our 
"chief  cook,"  we  all  went  in  jaunting-cars  to  the 
causeway,  a  distance  of  about  eight  miles,  passing 
the  Castle  of  Dunluce,  about  two  miles  from  Port- 
rush,  which  is  considered  one  of  the  most  interest- 
ing castles  in  the  kingdom.  We  had  a  very  intelli- 
gent driver,  a  native  of  the  "Emerald  Isle,"  who, 
when  we  wound  him.  up  at  the  start,  went  on  talk- 
ing the  rest  of  the  day,  telling  us  all  he  knew,  and, 
as  we  afterward  found,  some  things  he  did  not 
know.  At  the  causeway  our  company  was  divided 
into  several  smaller  parties,  with  a  guide  for  each. 
One  of  the  most  noticeable  things  at  the  causeway  is 
the  "Giant's  Organ,"  a  great  colonnade  of  pillars 
reaching  to  a  height  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet. 
Farther  east  another  variety  is  presented,  the 
"Chimney  Tops,"  three  pillars,  the  tallest  of  which 
is  forty-five  feet.  They  stand  upon  an  isolated  rock 
some  distance  from  the  cliff.  It  is  said  that  these 
chimney  tops  were  cannonaded  from  one  of  the 
ships  of  the  Spanish  Arrnada.  It  was  in  the  night, 
arid  the  crew  mistook  them  for  the  "chimneys"  of 
Dunluce  Castle.  We  sat  in  the  "Lady's  Wishing 
Chair,"  and  wished  the  wish  that  is  to  forever  after 
make  us  happy.  One  of  the  singularities  of  the 


LETTER  FROM  Miss  HATTIE  STANARD.        77 

immense  number  of  columns  is  that  there  is  but 
one  of  three  sides.  More  numerous  are  those  of  five 
sides,  but  the  most  have  six  sides,  a  few  with  as 
many  as  seven,  eight,  or  nine  sides,  but  none  often. 
The  road  from  Portrush  to  the  causeway  lies 
along  the  beach,  and  is  a  very  beautiful  drive.  At 
Portrush  we  saw  Dr.  Clarke's  monument.  All  en- 
joyed the  day  very  much,  and  we  think  came  back 
with  higher  ideas  of  Ireland  than  we  had  ever  had 
before.  The  people  crowded  the  depots,  with  smil- 
ing faces,  and  kind  words  of  welcome,  and  at  Port- 
rush  the  band  came  out  and  played  us  several  tunes, 
such  as  ."Yankee  Doodle,"  "Our  Country,"  "Star 
Spangled  Banner,"  etc.  We  reached  the  Victoria 
at  twelve  o'clock  P.  M.,  tired  but  happy,  for  we  had 
seen  far  more  than  we  had  expected  to  see.  Two 
things  that  are  scarce  in  Ireland  are  school-houses 
and  cemeteries.  Our  driver  said  they  had  to  kill  a 
man  to  start  a  cemetery  at  Portrush.  Three  hearty 
cheers  for  Old  Ireland  and  Scotland,  we  say. 


78  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Rev.  C.  W.  Gushing,  President  of  Auburndale  College,  Massa- 
chusetts, writes  the  following  to  the  Boston  Traveller  : 

JUNE  21,  1  P.M.,  1873. 

Cook's  Educational  Tour. — We  are  all  afloat.  The 
party  consists  of  one  hundred  and  sixty-five,  and 
quite  a  majority  are  ladies.  Two  of  the  number 
have  failed  to  come  to  time.  All  seem  very  happy 
as  yet,  for  old  Neptune  is  asleep.  We  are  hoping 
no  one  will  awaken  him  at  present.  Cook,  Son  & 
Jenkins  have  done  every  thing  in  their  power  to  get 
us  off  in  good  shape.  They  certainly  know  their 
business.  Our  goodly  steamer  Victoria  is  every  inch 
a  queen.  I  will  tell  you  more  of  her  when  I  know 
more.  I  send  by  mail  a  printed  list  of  the  names  of 
the  party.  A  more  select-looking  company  could 
not  easily  be  found.  I  send  you  this  line  by  the 
pilot,  from  off  Sandy  Hook.  More  anon  if — sailors 
know  what. 


MAYENCE,  Germany,  July  15,  1873. 

Since  reaching  Scotland  we  have  been  traveling 
over  enchanted  fields,  wandering  through  the  silent 
halls  of  palaces  and  castles  which  belonged  to  other 
days  and  other  epochs  of  history,  and  roaming  amid 
delectable  mountains.  But  I  want  to  break  the 
thread  of  our  itinerary  just  here,  long  enough  to 


LETTERS  FROM  KEY.  C.  W.  GUSHING.         79 

give  you  a  brief  sketch  of  two  Sabbaths  —  one  in 
Scotland,  and  the  other  in  Germany. 

After  spending  one  day  in  Glasgow,  we  went,  on 
July  4th,  to  Stirling  Castle — of  which  I  cannot  tell 
you  now — crossing  the  battle-fields  of  Bannockburn 
and  Stirling  Bridge,  through  Loch  Katrine,  Loch 
Lomond,  and  the  Trossachs,  to  Edinburgh.  Here 
we  spent  our  first  Sabbath  on  shore.  In  the  morn- 
ing our  whole  party  went,  by  special  invitation,  to 
the  old  Tron  Church,  to  listen  to  a  sermon  from  the 
eminent  Dr.  McGregor.  He  is  a  man  scarcely  more 
than  forty  years  of  age,  of  medium  size,  quite  de- 
formed when  seen  out  of  the  pulpit,  of  very  dark 
complexion,  with  curly  hair  nearly  black,  and  a  full 
black  beard.  His  face  is  very  marked,  especially 
his  eye  and  forehead.  He  has  a  rich  Scotch  voice, 
with  their  marked  inflections,  brogue,  and  broad 
vowel  sounds.  His  text  was  from  Matthew  iv,  1,  2, 
etc.,  and  his  theme  the  temptation  of  Christ.  The 
sermon  was  a  very  striking  one,  full  of  richest 
thought  and  suggestions,  and  delivered  with  an  en- 
thusiasm and  fervor  which  kindled  his  whole  audience 
into  rapture.  I  am  sure  the  sermon  will  not  soon 
be  forgotten  by  any  who  heard  it.  A  few  fitting 
words  were  addressed  directly  to  the  American  vis- 
itors at  the  conclusion  of  the  sermon.  During  the 
day  I  managed  to  hear  two  other  sermons — one  from 
the  venerable  Dr.  Alexander,  and  the  other  from 
Dr.  Scott,  and  the  most  of  a  sermon  from  the  Rev. 
Dr.  Wallace,  the  reformer  in  the  Established  Church. 
All  these  sermons,  as  you  would  expect,  were  very 
rich  treats.  But  what  I  want  especially  to  speak 
of  is  the  marked  features  of  a  Sabbath  in  Scotland. 
In  the  first  place,  no  horse-cars  (or  tram-ways,  so 
they  call  them)  are  running,  and  there  is  scarcely 
any  driving,  and  very  little  walking  on  the  streets, 
except  by  those  who  are  going  to  church,  and  it 
really  seems  as  though  this  embraced  everybody. 


80  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

After  service  in  the  evening,  I  walked  out  with  an 
Edinburgh  gentleman  through  the  lower  parts  of 
the  city,  and  found  every  thing  quiet  and  orderly. 
I  saw  one  small  place  where  beer  was  sold  standing 
open,  but  nobody  was  buying.  In  the  churches 
there  was  no  spare  room — all  were  filled.  But  the 
earnest  attention  of  the  audience  was  what  impressed 
me  most.  I  looked  about  the  house  for  listless  ones. 
Surely,  I  said,  some  of  these  boys  and  girls  will  be 

fazing  about.  But  I  did  not  find  such,  though  I 
ave  no  doubt  that  such  may  have  been  in  the  au- 
dience. So  far  as  I  could  see,  old  men  and  women, 
young  men  and  maidens,  and  even  the  children,  had 
their  eyes  fixed  intently  upon  the  preacher,  while 
the  expression  upon  their  faces  indicated  a  deep  in- 
terest in  what  was  said. 

It  was  really  delightful  and  cheering  to  spend  a 
Sabbath  under  such  circumstances.  There  is  none 
of  that  looseness  about  the  observance  of  the  day 
which  is  seen  in  our  own  country,  even  in  Puritanic 
New  England.  I  do  not  suppose  that  everybody 
went  to  church,  or  that  every  one  who  remained  at 
home  regarded  the  day  as  it  ought  to  be;  but  there 
was  certainly  a  much  more  general  regard  of  it  than 
I  have  been  accustomed  to  see;  and  an  indication 
of  a  prevailing  religious  sentiment,  a  high-toned 
faith  in  the  Bible  and  Sabbath,  which  was  refreshing 
to  a  Christian.  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  Edin- 
burgh has  a  reputation  for  such  Sabbaths;  for  an 
Englishman  asked  me  on  our  way  up  if  we  were  to 
spend  a  Sabbath  there.  I  told  him  we  expected  to. 
"Well,"  said  he,  "you  will  find  it  the  dullest  place 
you  were  ever  in.  There  is  nothing  going  on  on 
Sunday."  "Indeed,"  said  I,  "don't  they  have  re- 
ligious services?"  "O  yes,"  said  he,  "plenty  of 
that;  but  there  is  nothing  else  going  on." 

Our  next  Sabbath  found  us  at  Cologne,  a  remarka- 
bly quiet  and  orderly  little  city,  but  under  entirely 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  C.  W.  GUSHING.         81 

different  religious  influences.  The  first  thing  that 
impressed  me  as  I  stepped  upon  the  street  was  the 
fact  that  the  stores  were  all  open,  and  the  markets 
in  full  blast.  A  little  later  in  the  day  multitudes 
began  to  gather  in  the  beer  and  wine-gardens. 
Crossing  the  Rhine  to  the  old  town  of  Cologne,  we 
encountered  a  long  procession  of  men,  women,  boys, 
and  girls,  led  by  Catholic  priests  and  a  large  number 
of  novitiates,  in  full  regalia,  parading  the  streets 
with  bands  of  music  in  honor  of  St.  Michael.  The 
streets,  for  miles,  were  strewed  with  the  branches  of 
trees  and  with  flowers,  while  in  nearly  every  window 
along  the  whole  line  of  the  procession  were  images 
and  burning  caudles.  A  large  number  of  the  men 
carried  immense  candles,  burning,  while  over  the 
heads  of  the  more  venerable  priests  were  borne  large 
golden  canopies.  All  along  the  line  children  and 
adults  were  either  singing  or  counting  their  beads 
aloud.  In  the  old  cathedral — by  far  the  grandest 
which  we  have  seen  yet — services  were  held  half- 
hourly,  though  comparatively  few  were  in  attend- 
ance, excepting  at  children's  service,  at  2  o'clock. 

A  little  away  from  the  cathedral  the  museum  and 
other  public  buildings  were  all  open,  and  were 
crowded.  At  11  o'clock  we  attended  the  English 
Chapel  services,  where  seventy-five  persons  were 
present. 

In  the  afternoon,  just  in  front  of  our  hotel,  there 
was  a  grand  swimming  match,  which  was  announced 
by  the  firing  of  cannon.  All  day  the  river  was  filled 
with  the  boats  of  pleasure-parties.  At  3  o'clock 
P.M.  the  government  band  came  into  the  garden  of 
our  hotel,  and  began  a  grand  concert,  which  was 
kept  up,  with  occasional  intermissions,  until  10 
o'clock  at  night.  At  half-past  seven  our  party  held 
a  short  prayer-meeting  in  one  of  the  dining-rooms, 
amid  the  playing  of  the  band  and  the  drinking  of 
wine  and  beer  just  outside.  Coming  from  our 
4* 


82  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

prayer-meeting,  our  landlord  announced  that  they 
were  going  to  close  up  the  entertainment  with  a  few 
fireworks.  So  just  on  the  veranda  of  our  hotel, 
fronting  on  the  Rhine,  we  had  for  an  hour  a  magnifi- 
cent display  of  fireworks,  as  the  closing  ceremony  of 
our  first  Sabbath  under  the  German  regimt. 

Let  those  who  would  introduce  the  German  type 
of  Sabbath  into  America,  ponder. 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  PARTY  IN  EDINBURGH.     83 


CHAPTER  VI. 

[I  copy  from  the  Edinburgh  Daily  Review  the  following, 
omitting  the  speeches  of  Mr.  Thinex,  who  presided.  Dr. 
Donaldson  made  an  address,  the  concluding  paragraph  of 
which  I  copy.] 

The  American  Educational  Party  in  Edinburgh. — 
On  Saturday  morning  we  announced  the  arrival  in 
Edinburgh  of  the  large  party  of  Americans  who  are 
presently  making  a  short  excursion  into  the  Old 
World,  under  the  guidance  of  the  veteran  manager 
of  tours,  Mr.  John  Cook.  Twenty-seven  years  ago 
Mr.  Cook  first  appeared  among  the  citizens  of  the 
Scotch  metropolis  with  a  party  of  five  hundred 
English  tourists,  who  were  bent  on  exploring  our 
historically  interesting,  and  naturally  beautiful, 
country.  "Since  then  his  field  of  operations  has 
gradually  extended  until  it  now  embraces  the  whole 
world.  The  chief  theater  of  his  tours  is,  however, 
the  European  Continent,  over  which  he  yearly 
guides  hundreds  and  thousands — among  the  luxuri- 
ant vineyards  of  France  and  Italy,  the  fertile  plains 
of  Holland,  the  romantic  towns  of  Germany,  the 
gorgeous  scenery  of  the  Rhine,  and  the  almost  in- 
accessible valleys  of  Switzerland.  The  party  at 
present  under  his  charge,  numbering  one  hundred 
and  fifty,  consists  principally  of  teachers — ladies 
and  gentleman,  collected  from  twenty-seven  differ- 
ent States  of  America — together  with  several  pro- 
fessors and  gentlemen  of  the  press.  About  fifty  of 
them  are  acting  on  the  present  occasion  as  corres- 


84  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

pondents  of  newspapers,  so  that  doubtless  the  im- 
pressions which  they  receive  of  the  places  which 
they  visit  during  their  sojourn  in  Europe  will  he 
widely  disseminated  amongst  the  myriad  inhabitants 
of  the  United  States.  Before  starting,  the  party 
was  divided  into  four  sections,  each  of  whose  pro- 
gramme of  operations  differs  slightly  from  that  of 
the  others.  One  of  the  sections  only  reached  Scot- 
land on  Saturday  with  the  steamer  Canada,  of  the 
Anchor  Line,  and  will  join  the  main  body  of  ex- 
cursionists at  London  during  the  week. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  lecture  hall  of  the  Industrial 
Museum  wras  crowded  by  an  audience  of  Edinburgh 
citizens,  congregated  to  welcome  the  members  of 
the  Educational  Party  from  America.  The  members 
of  the  excursion  committee  occupied  seats  on  the 
platform,  and  the  remainder  of  the  Americans  were 
accommodated  immediately  in  front.  \ 

Dr.  Donaldson  then  gave  a  brief  account  of  the 
early  education  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  at  the  High 
School  of  Edinburgh,  and  the  progress  that  he 
made,  as  illustrative  of  the  pleasing  and  interesting 
nature  of  a  teacher's  duties.  The  great  object  they 
ought  to  have  in  view  was  to  look  after  the  interest 
of  the  average  boy.  There  was  no  doubt  that  they 
exercised  a  mighty  power  in  the  molding  of  na- 
tions; and  if  they  spread  sweetness  through  the 
boys,  if  their  class-rooms  were  filled  with  gentle 
thoughts  and  gentle  ways,  if  the  bitterness  of  judg- 
ment were  removed,  if  they  tried  to  do  justice  to 
every  nationality  in  dealing  with  the  history  of  na- 
tions, to  bring  out  the  good  points,  to  show  that 
the  evil  points  were  in  most  part  shadows  which 
grew  around  the  central  figure  when  it  came  into 
the  sunlight,  then,  depend  upon  it,  wars  would 
cease,  they  would  see  nation  joining  hand  with  na- 
tion, and  should  bring  forth  that  happy  time  men- 
tioned by  the  poet  Burns,  when  men  shall  be 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  PARTY  IN  EDINBURGH.     85 

brothers  over  the  whole  world.  (Applause.)  He 
begged  in  the  name  of  the  whole  of  the  teachers 
of  Scotland  to  express  how  heartily  they  welcomed 
their  brethren  from.  America,  how  they  were  de- 
lighted to  see  those  who  labored  in  the  same  great 
work,  and  how  earnestly  they  hoped  that  the  pres- 
ent visit  should  be  an  enjoyable  and  profitable  one, 
which  should  soon  be  repeated.  (Applause.) 

Rev.  T.  D.  Witherspoon  (Virginia  University), 
who  was  received  with  enthusiastic  cheers,  said  he 
expressed  the  feelings  of  every  member  of  their 
American  party  when  he  gave  expression  to. their 
profound  thanks  for  the  manifestation  which  they 
had  received  that  evening  of  the  kindly  feeling  and 
generous  hospitality  of  the  citizens  of  Edinburgh. 
This  was  not  the  first  welcome  which  they  had  re- 
ceived to  Old  Scotland.  The  chairman  had  spoken 
of  the  lines  of  steamers  which  connect  the  United 
Kingdom  and  America,  and  from  the  moment  that 
they  left  New  York  city  and  entered  the  steamer 
that  was  to  bring  them  to  Europe,  they  felt  that 
Scotland  had  already  put  forth  her  hand  not  only 
to  welcome  them,  but  had  reached  forth  her  hand 
to  take  them  and  bear  them  to  her  own  country.  The 
vessel  in  which  they  came  was  built  on  the  banks 
of  the  Clyde — (applause) — and  if  only  a  sufficient 
number  of  similar  vessels  so  stout  and  good  should 
be  built  there,  and  if  only  such  commanders  could 
be  found  in  Scotland  as  Captain  Robert  E.  Munroe, 
and  if  only  such  conductors  and  guides  as  Messrs. 
Cook  &  Sons  could  be  provided  for  them,  he  safely 
believed  it  would  be  only  a  short  time  until  the 
people  of  Scotland  and  America  would  be  so  well 
connected  with  each  other  that  they  would  scarcely 
know  that  there  was  any  difference  between  them. 
(Applause.)  Nor  was  it  only  the  feelings  of  cordi- 
ality which  they  met  with  on  the  vessel,  but  when 
looking  over  the  list  of  officers  they  read  the  names 


86  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

of  Munroe,  Laird,  Knox,  Harrison,  Stockclale,  and 
others — all  of  them  names  that  were  connected 
with  historic  epochs  in  Scotland — they  felt  peculiar 
security  in  resting  upon  the  hardihood,  faith,  and 
integrity  of  the  Scottish  people.  On  the  first  day 
of  their  sail  from  America  there  appeared  in  the 
midst  of  them  a  warm,  generous-hearted  Scotch- 
man, who  bore  another  name — a  historic  name,  cel- 
ebrated not  only  in  Scotland,  but  renowned  across 
the  water — the  name  of  Cunningham.  (Applause.) 
They  had  hoped  to  have  had  him  with  them  that 
evening,  but  he  had  been  prevented  from  coming. 
He  gave  them  both  his  hands,  and  represented  to 
them  that  they  should  find  a  hearty  welcome  when 
they  came  to  Scotland.  Let  him  say  that  they  had 
found  it,  that  they  had  not  been  disappointed,  but 
had  received  everywhere  evidences  of  kindly  feel- 
ing. He  spoke  in  the  name  of  the  whole  American 
party  when  he  declared  that  they  felt  the  very  deep- 
est interest  in  all  that  concerned  the  ancient  and 
historical  renown  of  this  country.  There  were 
many  of  them  in  the  party  who  could  not  only 
quote  those  beautiful  words  from  Scott  which  were 
quoted  by  the  chairman  that  evening,  but  who  could 
take  them  up  where  he  left  them  off — 

Land  of  our  sires;  what  traitor's  hand 
Shall  e'er  untie  the  filial  band 
That  binds  us  to  thy  native  strand  ? 

(Applause.)  The  blood  of  Scotland  was  in  their 
veins,  and  though  it  had  been  watered  by  ten  gene- 
rations in  America,  and  though  they  were  proud  of 
being  connected  with  the  rise  and  progress  of 
American  institutions,  yet  all  that  was  connected 
with  the  ancient  and  historical  fame  of  Scotland, 
and  that  was  connected  with  its  present  prosperity 
and  progress,  was  dear  to  their  hearts.  (Applause.) 
And  as  they  wandered  to-day  through  this  beautiful 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  PARTY  IN  EDINBUREH.     87 

city — majestically  beautiful  beyond  all  that  they  had 
conceived — as  they  had  visited  the  Castle  and  visited 
the  Palace,  and  all  the  institutions  of  the  city,  they 
had  felt  a  just  and  honest  pride  themselves  in  all 
that  they  had  beheld.  (Applause.)  Yet,  farther, 
let  him  say  that  if  in  America  the  spirit  of  devotion 
to  right  and  truth  had  been  manifested,  its  fires  had 
been  kindled  in  great  measure  by  memories  of  the 
grand  and  historical  struggles  for  right  and  liberty 
which  make  the  history  of  Scotland.  (Applause.) 
In  visiting  the  field  of  Bannockburn  and  the  town 
of  Stirling,  and  other  places  of  interest,  they  felt 
that  they  were  theirs  as  well  as  ours.  (Applause.) 
He  would  not  occupy  the  time,  however — (applause, 
and  cries  of  "Go  on!") — but  would  leave  to  his 
friend,  Eev.  Professor  Gushing,  who  was  to  follow 
him,  the  task  of  replying  to  the  address  which  had 
been  delivered  by  the  learned  doctor  who  had  just 
spoken.  He  concluded,  remarking  that  if  Mr.  Cook 
brought  one  hundred  and  twenty  Scottish  men  and 
women  to  America,  they  would  receive  in  return  as 
hearty  a  welcome  as  they  had  received  in  Scotland. 
(Loud  applause.) 

Professor  Charles  Gushing  said  he  thought  he 
knew  why  he  was  in  Scotland,  but  he  really  did  not 
know  why  he  was  standing  just  where  he  did.  He 
had  learned  when  a  little  boy  to  love  Scotland,  and 
he  was  only  realizing,  all  too  briefly,  the  dreams  of 
his  boyhood,  for  he  was  born  in  Caledonia — in  the 
New  World,  up  in  the  State  of  Vermont.  (Laugh- 
ter.) He  had  to  leave  it  when  a  little  boy,  and 
thought  if  he  was  a  man  he  should  certainly  visit 
the  original  Caledonia.  When  he  became  older,  and 
put  away  boyish  things  somewhat — he  did  not  know 
whether  it  was  because  he  was  born  in  Caledonia,  or 
not — but  he  found  the  one  who  was  to  stand  by  his 
side — his  dear  wife — had-  a  good  deal  of  Scottish 
blood  in  her  veins,  and  a  good  deal  of  Scottish  bloom 


88  A  MEMPIIIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

in  her  face,  and  be  rejoiced  now  to  be  bere  in  Scot- 
land. During  the  last  two  or  three  days  he  had 
been  wandering  with  this  party  of  teachers  over  the 
beautiful  and  historical  fields,  and  lakes,  and  cities 
of  Scotland,  and  had  stood  upon  the  sites  where 
noble  men  had  stood,  and  wandered  down  by  lakes 
where  had  been  pointed  out  the  haunts  of  Roderick 
Dhu  and  Rob  Roy,  and  had  stood  where  Burns,  and 
Scott,  and  John  Knox,  and  Erskine,  and  those  noble 
men  stood.  He  had  felt  sometimes  as  if  he  almost 
heard  voices  behind  him  saying,  "Put  off  thy  shoes 
from  thy  feet,  for  the  place  where  thou  standest  is 
holy  ground."  The  impression  had  been  left  upon 
his  mind  that  they  were  a  very  young  people  in 
America;  they  had  no  history.  They  had  entered 
old  castles  here,  and  asked  the  guides — perhaps  they 
ought  to  have  been  ashamed  of  their  ignorance  of 
history — wThen  they  were  erected,  and  they  had  been 
told  it  was  not  known.  (Laughter.)  He  had  been 
told  that  more  than  once.  They  were  now  in  a  land 
where  there  were  castles  and  temples  standing  so 
old  that  it  made  them  feel  that  they  were  very  young, 
and  that  they  ought  to  feel  that  they  knew  very 
little,  and  he  was  glad  to  be  here  in  Scotland,  where 
there  had  been  so  many  famous  men — and  women 
too — and  where  they  might  catch  a  little  inspiration 
from  that  old  history,  and  be  re'impressed  with  the 
feelings  which  they  had  so  often  felt,  and  he  was 
sure  as  teachers  they  should  go  home  again  and  toil 
— for  the  teacher's  life  was  a  life  of  toil ;  some  of  them 
did  not  know  it,  but  it  was — with  a  great  deal  more 
enthusiasm  and  a  great  deal  more  courage.  About 
half  of  their  number  were  practical  teachers.  (Ap- 
plause.) He  was  glad  to  say  that  the  majority  of 
them  were  ladies.  (Renewed  applause.)  Almost  all 
of  them  were  subordinate  teachers.  The  professors 
and  presidents  of  their  colleges  had  been  in  Scotland, 
and  been  through  Europe,  and  could  take  time  for  it; 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  PARTY  IN  EDINBURGH.     89 

but  the  subordinate  teachers  had  to  run  away  during 
a  summer  vacation,  when  the  boys  and  girls  had  gone 
home  for  a  few  weeks.  They  had  come  to  catch  a 
little  inspiration  from  these  old  historic  fields,  and 
now  they  were  glad  to  be  here.  They  regretted  ex- 
ceedingly that  they  could  not  meet  directly  with  the 
teachers  of  Scotland  in  their  places  of  work,  and  see 
how  they  worked.  They  were  trying  in  America, 
in  the  States,  as  well  as  they  could  to  do  a  little. 
They  were  trying  to  do  much,  and  they  hoped  they 
were  doing  a  little,  to  educate  the  people  as  they 
ought  to  be  educated.  (Applause.)  They  had  not 
the  men  and  women— especially  the  men — of  fame 
which  they  had  in  Scotland.  They  had  no  such 
reputation,  but  they  were  working  in  their  own  way, 
in  common  places  amongst  the  people.  Of  course, 
they  were  Republicans  (applause),  and  the  only  se- 
curity of  the  Republic  was  integrity  and  intelligence 
in  every  individual  man  and  woman.  (Hear,  hear.) 
Every  boy  was  to  be  a  prince  of  the  realm;  he  was 
ultimately  to  stand  in  a  place  where  he  would  have 
as  much  voice  to  decide  the  destinies  of  the  Govern- 
ment as  any  other  man.  It  mattered  not  what  his 
character  was,  what  his  attainments  were.  And  so 
they  felt  that  their  life  depended  upon  the  thorough 
education  of  the  masses  of  the  people.  It  was  for 
that  reason,  he  supposed,  that  the  efforts  in  America 
had  been  attracted  so  specially  to  the  education  of 
the  people  everywhere.  In  their  public  schools  they 
were  gathering  in,  so  far  as  they  could,  and  educat- 
ing the  boys  and  girls;  and  just  now  there  was  an 
effort  being  made  to  give  to  their  girls  and  young 
women  a  more  thorough  education  than  the}7  ever 
had.  Some  of  the  best  colleges  and  universities  had 
thrown  open  their  doors,  and  though  that  might  not 
be  the  best  education  for  girls  —  he  doubted  very 
much  if  it  was  after  they  were  fifteen  years  of  age — 
still  they  were  throwing  the  doors  open  for  the  ex- 


90  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

periment  of  allowing  the  girls  to  stand  side  by  side 
with  boys  and  young  men  to  determine  what  they 
could  do.  There  was  no  question  what  they  should 
do;  the  only  question  was,  what  was  the  best  way 
to  have  it  done,  and  the  best  circumstances  under 
which  it  should  be  done.  A  very  large  majority  of 
the  teachers  in  their  common,  and  often  higher, 
schools,  excepting  colleges,  were  ladies.  (Applause.) 
But  he  heard  it  said  every  now  and  again  that  women 
could  not  teach  so  well  as  men.  He  always  met 
that  charge  by  remarking  that  there  was  no  reason 
why  they  should  be  expected  to  do  so,  for  no  nation 
had  ever  given  women  any  thing  like  the  same  op- 
portunities of  making  preparation  to  teach  as  had 
been  given  to  men.  (Applause.)  He  should  not 
expect  women  to  teach  Latin  and  Greek,  when  men 
received  six  or  eight  years  of  thorough  drill,  and 
women  only  got  perhaps  one  or  two  years  for  the 
study  of  Latin,  if  they  ever  study  Greek  at  all.  In 
America  a  great  deal  was  said  about  educating 
women  for  the  best  positions,  and  they  were  striv- 
ing to  balance  the  whole,  and  to  give  not  only  to 
children  of  every  class  and  condition  opportunities 
for  common  education,  but  to  give  to  every  class 
alike,  and  to  both  sexes,  equal  opportunities  for  edu- 
cation ;  and  they  felt  that  when  they  shall  have  done 
this,  that  they  shall  have  done  what  no  other  na- 
tion, not  even  Scotland,  has  done  for  the  elevation 
of  the  race.  (Applause.)  On  behalf  of  the  teachers 
present  he  thanked  the  meeting  for  the  cordial  wel- 
come they  had  received,  not  as  Americans,  but  as 
teachers.  Teachers  only  knew  how  to  sympathize 
with  one  another.  When  they  sat  down  to  talk 
they  understood  each  other's  trials  and  each  other's 
toils;  and  he  only  regretted  that  their  limited  time 
prevented  them  from  seeing  the  teachers  of  Scot- 
land conducting  their  classes,  and  making  such  men 
as  they  had  been  accustomed  to  make  in  Scotland. 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  PARTY  IN  EDINBURGH.     91 

If  they  could  get  but  an  idea  in  the  day  or  two  they 
were  here,  they  should  be  more  than  compensated 
for  any  toil  and  inconvenience  they  had  experienced 
since  they  had  left  the  shores  of  their  own  country. 
(Applause.) 

While  the  professor  was  speaking  the  Lord  Pro- 
vost entered  the  lecture-hall,  and  was  received  with 
loud  cheering.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  learned 
professor's  address, 

The  Lord  Provost  said  that  it  was  with  extreme 
regret  that  he  had  been  unable  to  be  present  at  the 
commencement  of  the  proceedings,  owing  to  his 
having  been  engaged  on  a  public  duty  which  took 
him  to  the  country.  He  had  written  to  say  such 
might*  be  the  case ;  but  if  it  had  not  been  for  the 
proverbial  lateness  of  the  trains  on  a  certain  railway, 
he  should  have  been  there  in  time.  He  congratu- 
lated upon  their  arrival  in  this  old  country  the  distin- 
fuished  party  who  had  come  over  from  the  United 
tates.  Our  American  cousins  were  objects  of  pe- 
culiar interest,  and  at  the  same  time  we  might  say 
we  loved  them  as  our  sons  and  daughters.  (Ap- 
plause.) "When  he  thought  of  what  that  country,  so 
great  and  yet  in  embryo,  might  become,  compared 
with  ourselves  at  the  end  of  a  very  short  period, 
when  many  of  the  young  people  present  would  be 
still  living — that  it  would  contain  two  hundred  mil- 
lions of  people,  whilst  this  country  would  remain  in 
about  the  same  ratio  as  at  present — he  thought  they 
would  agree  with  him  in  congratulating  themselves 
in  being  waited  upon  by  a  deputation  of  that  people 
who  were  to  spread  our  name  and  fame,  and  our  lan- 
guage and  customs,  and  our  religion,  over  that  vast 
continent.  (Applause.)  If,  in  the  future,  any  jealousy 
should  be  excited  on  the  part  of  the  one  nation  to- 
ward the  other,  when  that  time  came,  he  thought  that 
country,  which  was  so  great  and  so  powerful,  would 
look  back  to  and  respect  the  country  to  which  it 


92  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

owed  its  name  and  existence,  and  which,  though 
comparatively  small  and  feeble,  was  the  land  to  which 
it  owed  its  origin,  and  from  which  it  derived  its 
greatness.  He  congratulated  the  members  of  the 
American  party,  in  the  name  of  the  citizens  of  Ed- 
inburgh, upon  their  arrival  here;  and  begged  to 
offer  them  a  most  cordial  welcome,  and  to  say  how 
proud  we  were  of  the  visit  they  had  paid  us,  and 
how  happy  we  were  in  having  the  honor  of  their 
presence.  (Applause.)  Nothing  we  could  do  to 
show  them  how  hearty  we  were  in  joining  with 
them  in  one  common  cause  for  the  advancement  of  re- 
ligion should  be  wanting,  or  in  giving  them  a  cordial 
welcome  both  in  public  and  in  private.  (Applause.) 
Mr.  John  Cook  said  that  since  he  had  previously 
visited  Edinburgh  he  had  encompassed  the  world, 
and  he  now  supplemented  his  previous  work  by 
bringing  a  party  of  Americans  on  a  tour  to  the 
principal  places  on  the  continent  of  Europe.  There 
were  on  the  platform  three  generations  of  Cooks — 
(laughter) — and  when  the  first  passed  away,  he 
hoped  the  second  and  third  would  still  carry  on  the 
work  he  had  commenced  among  the  mountains  and 
lakes,  and  the  islands  of  the  west  of  Scotland.  He 
felt  proud  to  have  been  the  means  of  bringing  to- 
gether that  body  of  American  citizens  to  receive  the 
welcome  of  the  citizens  of  Edinburgh — (applause) — • 
and  he  begged  to  propose  that  a  hearty  vote  of 
thanks  be  accorded  to  the  Lord  Provost,  who  had 
kindly  come  forward,  though  at  a  late  moment,  and 
to  Mr.  Thomas  Knox,  for  the  kind  interest  they  had 
taken  in  the  meeting.  (Cheers.) 

[Editorial  from  the  Review."] 

Our  American  Visitors. — Our  American  visitors 
must  not  complain  that  we  have  taken  up  part  of 
their  brief  opportunity  for  sight-seeing  in  Edinburgh 
by  interviewing  them  in  the  lecture-hall  of  the 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  PARTY  IN  EDINBURGH.     93 

Science  and  Art  Museum.  We  could  not  let  them 
pass  from  our  city  without  taking  some  friendly  no- 
tice of  them.  There  was  no  time  between  our 
hearing  of  them  and  their  arrival  to  organize  such 
a  reception  as  we  would  like  to  have  given  them; 
and  that  being  so,  they  will,  we  hope,  take  it  as  a 
compliment  that  we  introduced  them  in  this  old 
country  to  the  ceremony  of  an  interview  and  ex- 
change of  speeches.  That  is  peculiarly  an  American 
institution,  and  as  such  it  was  the  expedient  which 
appeared  to  be  most  suitable  for  giving  them  a  wel- 
come, and  making  them  feel  themselves  at  home. 
Our  Yankee  cousins,  moreover,  are  all  born  orators; 
it  is  easier  for  any  one  of  them  to  make  a  speech 
than  to  let  it  alone,  so  we  did  not  apprehend  that  in 
giving  some  of  them  an  opportunity  to  "orate"  we 
were  inflicting  upon  them  the  annoyance  which  the 
more  taciturn  Briton  sometimes  feels  under  that 
ordeal.  Most  heartily  will  the  whole  community  or 
Edinburgh  indorse  all  the  words  of  welcome  ad- 
dressed to  our  visitors  on  Saturday-night  by  the 
Lord  Provost,  and  other  citizens.  The  parent  has 
no  jealousy  of  the  increasing  strength  and  intelli- 
gence of  the  child,  and  we  may  be  permitted  to 
look  upon  the  great  body  of  American  citizens  as 
bone  of  our  bone,  and  flesh  of  our  flesh.  If  they 
should  "rive  the  bonnet"  of  their  father,  John  Bull 
and  Brither  Sandy  will  look  on  with  complacency. 
In  all  human  probability  they  must  increase  while 
we — comparatively  at  least — decrease.  Every  right- 
hearted  Briton  will  care  less  for  that  than  for  the 
channel  in  which  the  future  might  and  influence  of 
the  great  American  Republic  is  to  be  directed. 
They  got  a  good  start  in  the  world.  The  old  Puri- 
tan stock  of  England  is  the  tap-root  from  which 
American  life  has  grown ;  and  how  much  the  United 
States  owes  to  that  providential  arrangement  it 
would  not  be  easy  to  estimate.  The  citizens  of  the 


94  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

States  have  had  the  farther  benefit  of  large  infusions 
of  Scotch  and  Irish  blood  from  generation  to  gene- 
ration ;  and  that  makes  not  a  bad  cross  with  the 
original  stock  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers — we  speak, 
of  course,  of  north  country  Irishmen ;  the  native 
Irish  element  is  of  doubtful  advantage.  It  was 
pleasant  to  hear  from  Mr.  Witherspoon,  and  Pro- 
fessor Gushing,  on  Saturday-night,  that  their  coun- 
trymen had  not  forgotten  their  descent,  and  that 
they  find  a  trip  to  this  country  very  much  like  a 
visit  to  the  old  folks  at  home.  That  is  one  of  the 
reasons  for  which  we  welcome  our  American  breth- 
ren. They  have  the  same  hereditary  interest  in  our 
history,  our  literature,  our  struggles  for  civil  and  re- 
ligious freedom  that  we  have  ourselves ;  and  the 
quickening  of  this  community  of  sentiment  and 
sympathy  is  a  precious  outcome  of  American  visits 
to  our  shores.  We  have  no  doubt  one  and  all  of 
Mr.  Cook's  excursion  party  will  return  to  their 
countrymen  with  the  assurance  that  the  heart  of  the 
old  country  beats  in  unison  with  theirs,  in  desiring 
and  working  for  the  progress  of  civilization,  enlight- 
enment, liberty,  and  Christianity  all  the  world  over. 
And  we  could  hardly  have  conceived  of  a  company 
of  American  tourists  whose  friendly  feeling  toward 
us  is  of  more  consequence.  More  than  half  of  the 
one  hundred  and  fifty  are  practical  teachers;  others 
are  journalists,  and  almost  all  are  among  the  educa- 
tors of  their  country.  Their  direct  influence  extends 
over  hundreds  of  thousands  of  their  compatriots, 
and  their  indirect  influence  it  would  be  impossible 
to  compute.  Most  glad  we  shall  be  if — as  we  believe 
to  be  the  case — they  are  able  to  report  that  they 
have  found  the  people  of  Scotland,  and  of  Britain, 
not  jealous,  but  proud  of  the  greatness  of  the 
United  States,  and  desirous  of  showing  their  respect 
and  attachment  to  the  utmost.  The  more  they 
know  of  us  we  are  sure  they  will  be  the  more  con- 


THE  EDUCATIONAL  PARTY  IN  EDINBURGH.     95 

vinced  that  they  have  our  heartiest  wishes  for  their 
welfare  and  prosperity.  That  is  not  always  the 
opinion  the  rising  generation  of  America  receive 
about  us  from  their  school  histories,  but  even  they — 
to  the  extent  of  the  influence  of  the  teachers  of  Mr. 
Cook's  party — will,  we  believe,  learn  to  judge  us 
more  charitably,  and  not  to  visit  the  sins  of  the 
fathers  upon  the  repentant  children.  But  if,  as  we 
believe,  our  American  friends  have  something  to 
learn  from  us,  and  about  us,  we  have  certainly 
something  to  learn  from  them.  "  Scrape  a  Russian," 
said  Napoleon  I,  "and  you  will  find  a  Tartar.'* 
Scrape  a  Yankee,  we  may  add,  and  you  will  find  an 
Englishman  or  a  Scotchman.  When  we  listen,  not 
to  the  and- British  diatribes  of  a  section  of  the 
American  press,  but  to  the  honest  opinion  of  intel- 
ligent and  candid  American  citizens,  we  always 
find,  as  we  found  in  the  speeches  of  Professor  Gushing 
and  Mr.  Witherspoon,  that  they  have  a  warm  cor- 
ner in  their  hearts  for  the  land  of  their  fathers. 
We  venture  to  say  that  our  visitors  of  the  last 
three  days  know  more  about  the  history  and  tradi- 
tions of  Scotland  than  not  a  few  educated  people 
among  ourselves;  and  that  they  glow  with  enthusi- 
asm in  presence  of  scenes,  and  in  memory  of  asso- 
ciations which  have  too  little  power  over  the  masses 
of  our  own  population.  We  may  learn  from  them 
to  prize  more  highly,  and  improve  more  zealously, 
the  noble  heritage  patriotic  Scotchmen  in  Church 
and  State  have  left  us.  And  we  may  learn  from 
them,  too,  that  when  the  time  comes — as  probably 
it  will — when  there  shall  be  another  and  greater 
struggle  than  the  world  has  yet  seen  between  the 
champions  of  freedom  and  the  abettors  of  despo- 
tism, in  both  kinds,  civil  and  religious,  Britain, 
which  must  be  in  the  thick  of  it,  will  not  look  in 
vain  for  the  powerful  aid  of  the  United  States  of 
America. 


96  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

A  trip  from  London  to  Antwerp — A  look  about  the  ancient  city. 
ANTWERP,  Belgium,  July  10,  1873. 

WE  left  London  at  4  P.M.  yesterday  for  this  place. 
Having  been  there  five  days  sight-seeing,  we  felt  re- 
lieved to  get  away. 

We  took  the  Great  Eastern  Railway  to  Harwich, 
about  eighty  miles.  This  country  is  not  of  the  kind 
from  Liverpool  to  London.  That  was  densely  set- 
tled, this  but  sparsely.  It  is  a  fine  country  for  hay 
and  small  grain,  and  every  part  of  it  sown  down, 
with  scarcely  a  tree,  only  along  the  hedge-rows;  but 
the  houses  are  scattering  compared  with  other  parts 
of  England.  Some  farm-houses  scattered  along  the 
way  were  all  that  we  saw,  except  a  few  towns  of  but 
little  importance. 

The  ship  on  which  we  came  over  was  an  inferior 
one,  with  but  little  accommodation.  There  was 
scarcely  room  for  us,  even  on  and  under  the  table, 
to  sleep.  The  channel  was  smooth,  and  we  slept 
awhile  comfortably.  Soon  in  the  morning  we  enter 
the  river  Scheldt,  on  which  this  city  is  situated. 
It  is  several  miles  wide  for  some  distance.  As  we 
ascend,  it  becomes  narrow,  until  it  resembles  the 
Mississippi.  For  some  distance  it  looks  very  much 
like  the  coast  above  New  Orleans.  Instead  of  the 
sugar-cane  they  have  the  rushes  growing  luxuriantly. 
As  we  approach  the  city  we  see  a  large  fort,  with 


FROM  LONDON  TO  ANTWERP.  97 

many  cannon  pointed  out  toward  the  river,  looking 
Very  warlike.  The  number  of  soldiers  we  see  over 
the  city  indicates  that  they  keep  prepared  for  de- 
fense. 

The  custom-house  officers  come  aboard  and  ex- 
amine our  baggage,  which  has  been  very  much  re- 
duced since  we  left  London,  as  we  are  onty  allowed 
fifty  pounds  on  the  Continent.  This  farce  over,  we 
fill  up  inside,  and  cover  over  outside,  the  omnibuses 
waiting  for  us.  A  brush  and  a  wash,  and,  with  con- 
ductor and  guide,  we  are  off  to  see  the  great  cathe- 
dral, of  magnificent  architecture,  near  by  our  Plotel 
de  Europe.  This  is  one  of  the  oldest  and  largest 
churches  in  the  world.  It  was  commenced  early  in 
the  year  1400.  It  is  said  that  one  of  its  towers  is 
the  highest  and  most  delicately-finished  in  the  world. 
The  clock  and  bells  together  chime  sweet  music 
every  half  hour,  and  every  hour  play  a  fine  piece  of 
music,  heard,  I. suppose,  all  over  the  city.  From 
here  we  went  to  the  museum,  one  of  the  finest  col- 
lections of  paintings  in  Europe.  It  is  especially  rich 
in  the  works  of  Rubens,  Vandyke,  and  other  Flemish 
artists.  There  were  several  of  the  crucifixion,  very 
impressive.  It  was  very  extensive,  containing  sev- 
eral large  rooms  filled  with  paintings.  We  then  went 
to  see  the  silk  manufactory.  It  is  woven  in  the  old- 
fashioned  "fly-shuttle"  loom  b}^  hand.  No  machin- 
ery whatever  is  used  in  its  manufacture.  The  ladies 
examined  the  goods,  and  thought  them  very  cheap; 
but  when  the  duty  of  sixty  per  cent,  and  the  differ- 
ence in  money  is  added,  it  makes  the  cost  nearly  as 
much  as  in  the  United  States.  We  return  to  the 
hotel  to  dine  at  5  o'clock.  Nine  courses  are  run 
through  in  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  yet  not  a  very 
hearty  meal  at  that — for  every  thing  a  separate  plate, 
except,  I  believe,  for  potatoes,  which  were  about  the 
size  of  common  marbles.  Captain  D.  and  myself 
took  their  only  street  railway,  to  see  the  suburbs  of 
5 


98  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

this  Belgian  city.  Having  a  few  coppers  left,  we 
paid  our  way  out  to  a  tine  park,  small  but  tasty, 
litted  up  for  beer-drinking,  music,  etc.  On  our  re- 
turn we  hand  the  conductor  some  English  silver. 
He  shakes  his  head  and  passes  on.  The  car  is  tilled 
with  ladies,,  chattering  like  a  flock  of -black-birds, 
and  by  us  as  little  understood.  The  conductor  re- 
turns after  awhile,  and  we  try  to  get  him  to  take 
our  fare  in  silver.  One  of  the  ladies  says  to  us: 
"He  says  you  must  go  away,"  and  out  we  got  to 
walk  to  the  hotel,  if  we  could  find  it.  We  had  not 
proceeded  far  before  we  saw  people  going  into  a 
large  church,  and  we  enter  the  finest  we  ever  saw. 
Indeed,  I  have  never  seen  any  building  finished  so 
gorgeously — gilding,  glittering  walls,  ceilings,  col- 
umns, altars,  with  such  an  amount  of  decoration  as 
I  never  saw  any  thing  to  compare  with  before.  A 
minister  was  perched  up  in  the  air,  near  the  center, 
preaching  away,  as  I  suppose,  verj7  eloquently,  but 
it  was  all  Dutch  to  me.  Yet  I  was  intensely  inter- 
ested. His  manner  was  so  earnest,  his  zeal  so  fer- 
vent, and  the  vast  crowd  so  deeply  in  sympathy  with 
him,  that  we  were  captivated  with  what  we  heard 
and  saw  all  around  us.  All  at  once  he  stopped,  and 
the  audience  arose  to  their  feet;  many  of  them 
rushed  to  the  altar  in  the  far  end,  prostrating  them- 
selves before  it,  while  the  two  large  organs  in  the 
other  end  of  the  church,  and  the  choir,  discoursed 
such  music  as  never  fell  upon  our  ears  before.  A 
grand  concert,  it  seemed,  was  given,  and  we  staid 
till  it  was  over.  During  this  time  the  audience 
knelt  in  their  chairs,  with  their  heads  and  arms  rest- 
ing on  a  board  on  the  top  of  them.  I,  too,  knelt  in 
one  for  a  time  to  see  how  it  was  done,  and  to  prac- 
tice what  to  me  was  a  new  form  of  worship.  The 
priests  were  dressed  in  long  black  robes,  down  to 
the  floor.  We  have  seen  quite  a  number  of  such  on 
the  streets,  but  have  not  learned  as  yet  what  church 


PUT  OFF  THE  STREET-CAR.  99 

they  are.    This  worship  was  the  grandest  affair  I  ever 
saw,  and  when  I  learn  what  it  was  I  may  tell  you. 

How  to  find  our  way  to  the  hotel  is  now  the  ques- 
tion. "We  start  off  in  the  direction.  The  narrow, 
crooked  streets  and  tall  houses  soon  destroy  our  idea 
of  locality;  but  we  go  on,  as  we  think,  in  the  direc- 
tion. We  make  inquiries;  they  shake  their  heads, 
and  laugh.  We  laugh  too,  but  still  feel  very  different 
from  what  they  do.  I  thought  then  they  certainly 
could  understand  Hotel  de  Europe,  and  so  I  asked, 
pointing  my  finger,  and  they  understood  it,  and 
pointed  theirs,  and,  after  making  these  experiments, 
we  found  our  way  to  the  hotel  at  10  o'clock,  enjoy- 
ing our  walk  very  much.  And  thus  ends  our  first 
day  on  the  Continent. 


Sights  and  impressions  in  Belgium  and  Germany — Experience 
in  Brussels  and  Cologne  —  Habits  and  occupation  of  the 
people — The  great  Cathedral  and  other  objects  of  interest. 

COLOGNE,  Prussia,  July  12,  1873. 

I  wrote  you  hurriedly  at  Antwerp,  giving  an  ac- 
count of  my  first  day  on  the  Continent,  without 
having  time  to  look  over  it.  I  mounted  the  top  of 
an  omnibus,  with  several  others,  that  we  might  have 
a  better  view.  In  an  open  place,  between  a  quarter 
and  a  half  mile  long  by  some  sixty  to  eighty  yards 
wide,  was  the  vegetable  market.  It  was  almost  lit- 
erally filled  with  women  selling  and  buying  vegeta- 
bles. They  were  a  niotley  crowd,  such  as  I  had 
never  seen  before.  We  were  all  interested  in  this 
our  last  sight-seeing  in  Antwerp. 

We  take  the  carriages,  as  they  call  the  cars  here, 
much  on  the  English  style,  with  from  four  to  eight 
persons  locked  up  together.  The  distance  to  Brus- 
sels is  only  twenty-eight  miles  through  a  low, flat,  rich 
country  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Arriving  at 


100          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

the  capital,  each  party  is  soon  off  to  see  the  sights. 
Having  met  with  some  young  men  who  came  over  in 
the  Canada  with  us,  who  had  been  there  several  days, 
and  proffered  their  services,  we  availed  ourselves  of 
them  several  hours.  We  pass  along  through  the  Ar- 
cade, filled  with  all  sorts  of  things  to  sell,  to  Cook's 
office,  where  we  procure  aid  in  our  work  of  ex- 
ploration. 

The  Cathedral,  City  Hall,  Palace  of  the  Duke, 
Museum,  boulevards,  halls  of  justice,  etc.,  etc.,  are 
the  principal  places  to  see.  "We  go  from  one  to  the 
other  as  fast  as  we  are  able  to  examine  them;  but  a 
description  of  them  is  out  of  the  question  now. 
We  ascend  the  tower,  from  the  top  of  which  there 
is  a  fine  view  of  the  whole  city,  with  its  massive 
buildings,  and  boulevards  encircling  it.  The  king's 
palace  is  a  very  large  building,  but  nothing  like 
Buckingham,  in  London.  The  park,  too,  is  on  a 
much  smaller  scale.  The  Hotel  de  Ville  (the  town- 
hall)  and  Grand  Place  are  magnificent.  The  Place 
des  Martyrs,  where  there  is  a  monument  containing 
the  remains  of  the  patriots  killed  during  the  revolu- 
tion of  September,  1830,  is  full  of  melancholy  in- 
terest. The  statue  of  Leopold  I.,  on  the  Column 
du  Congres,  is  very  fine.  In  the  Museum  we  saw 
the  skeleton  of  a  whale  over  sixty  feet  long,  and  be- 
tween its  ribs  from  nine  to  ten  feet,  making  room 
for  several  persons  to  be  domiciled. 

Brussels  is  not  only  the  capital  of  Belgium,  but 
the  most  important  city  in  the  kingdom.  It  is 
nearly  in  the  center  of  one  of  the  richest  and  most 
highly  cultivated  countries  in  Europe.  The  people 
here  are  much  more  refined  than  those  at  Antwerp, 
judging  from  their  appearance.  The  city  is  partly 
situated  on  a  little  river  called  the  Seine,  a  tributary 
of  the  Scheldt.  Its  origin  is  not  known.  Its  name 
is  mentioned  as  far  back  as  706,  and  was  a  town  of 
considerable  importance  in  the  tenth  century.  The 


BELGIAN  HISTORY.  101 

French  language  and  manners  have  been  predom- 
inant since  the  fifteenth  century. 

Manufactures. — There  are  extensive  manufactories 
of  cloths,  carpets,  silks,  and  lace.  "We  visited  the 
latter,  and  were  surprised  at  the  costliness  of  it. 
It  is  made  by  hand.  One  piece  we  observed  con- 
tained five  hundred  threads  used  in  the  netting. 
Those  who  make  it  get  from  thirty  to  forty  cents  per 
day  for  their  labor.  The  city  contains  one  hundred 
and  forty  lace  manufactories  and  seventy  retail 
lace-merchants.  We  are  now  where  he  who  shook 
Europe  as  an  earthquake,,  dethroning  kings  and 
making  princes,  moved  with  such  unparalleled  suc- 
cess. Antwerp  was  his  principal  sea-port,  through 
which  he  received  supplies,  and  upon  which  he  ex- 
pended so  much  money,  improving  its  harbor. 

Belgium  was  incorporated  with  France  for  twenty 
years.  On  the  1st  of  February,  1814,  the  allied 
troops  arrived  in  their  turn,  and  Belgium  was  given 
to  Prince  William  of  Orange;  Nassau  to  the  new 
King  of  the  Netherlands.  The  battle  of  Waterloo, 
twelve  miles  from  Brussels,  gained  by  Wellington 
and  Blucher  over  the  French  array,  put  an  end  to 
the  reign  of  Napoleon,  and  established  for  a  time 
the  union  of  Belgium  with  Holland.  But  the  in- 
trigues of  the  Southern  Princes  against  the  Dutch 
Government  produced  the  revolution  which  broke 
out  on  the  24th  and  25th  of  August  in  Brussels,  and 
to  which  Belgium  owes  its  nationality.  The  National 
Congress  voted  the  most  liberal  constitution  of  the 
Continent  of  Europe,  and  on  the  21st  of  July,  1831, 
Prince  Leopold  was  inaugurated  First  King  of  the 
Belgians.  In  July,  1856,  the  twenty-fifth  anniver- 
sary of  the  event  was  celebrated  throughout  Belgium 
with  the  greatest  solemnity.  Leopold  died  on  the 
10th  of  December,  1865,  and  his  son  and  successor, 
Leopold  II.,  took  the  oath  of  office  and  was  inaugu- 
rated the  17th  of  December,  in -the  same  year.  The 


102  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

kingdom  has  a  population  of  over  five  millions; 
Brussels,  one  hundred  and  seventy-one  thousand 
three  hundred  and  seventy-seven  on  the  first  of 
January,  1870.  The  court,  the  militia,  and  a  portion 
of  the  middle  classes  use  the  French  language.  I 
find  our  professors  of  French  are  not  able  to  learn 
much  from  the  people.  Some  very  amusing  inci- 
dents have  occurred  with  us,  showing  that  "book 
French"  does  not  pass  here.  The  present  king, 
Leopold  II.,  was  born  in  Brussels,  in  1835,  and  is  a 
nephew  of  Louis  Philippe,  King  of  the  French.  He 
was  married  to  Princess  Maria  Henrietta,  of  Aus- 
tria, in  1853.  Thus  he  and  his  wife  are  of  "  royal 
blood,"  and  have  a  nice  little  fertile  kingdom  of 
Belgians,  with  an  army  of  forty  thousand,  and  eight 
thousand  eight  hundred  horses. 

Street  Scenes. — By  the  way,  they  have  the  largest 
horses,  and  they  haul  the  heaviest  loads,  Fever  saw 
anywhere.  Their  wagon  wheels  are  very  low,  but 
very  heavy,  with  tires  about  one  inch  thick,  and 
they  carry  with  one  horse  what  we  do  with  four. 
Their  hacks,  'buses,  and  other  vehicles,  have  only 
one  horse.  Smaller  ones  are  hauled  by  men  and 
dogs  geared  up,  which  are  as  true  to  pull  as  any 
thing  I  ever  saw.  The  women  work  in  the  fields, 
sweep  the  streets,  and  do  almost  any  thing,  even  to 
work  side  by  side  with  a  big  dog,  pulling  a  cart- 
load. All  these  people  drink  beer;  many  of  them, 
the  higher  classes,  wine,  in  the  open  air.  On  the 
streets,  and  almost  everywhere,  you  see  tables  set, 
where  during  the  day,  but  mostly  in  the  evenings, 
thousands  oi'  them  congregate  to  drink  and  chat, 
men,  women,  boys,  and  girls,  all  together,  as  happy 
as  they  want  to  be,  seemingly.  I  have  not  seen  a 
man  intoxicated  in  the  least  since  I  have  been  over 
on  this  side  of  the  ocean. 

We  left  Brussels  this  morning,  satisfied  that  we 
had  seen  all  that  was  worth  staying  to  see.  We  go 


FROM  BRUSSELS  TO  COLOGNE.  103 

on  the  morning  train  for  this  place,  about  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  miles.  The  country  for  some  fifty 
miles  is  rich  and  well  cultivated;  generally  level. 
In  the  vicinity  of  Liege  it  is  more  broken,  ajid 
beautifully  picturesque.  Here  are  large  iron  manu- 
factories; then  for  some  distance  farming  on  a  more 
extensive  scale,  with  larger  fields,  but  still  sown 
down  in  small  patches  of  every  size.  There  are 
but  few  hedges  now  to  be  seen.  As  we  approach 
Cologne,  as  far  as  the  e}^e  can  see  there  seems  to  be 
vast  fields  of  grain  nearly  ready  for  harvesting.  We 
arrive  at  4  P.M.,  dine  at  5:30,  and  soon  are  off  to 
see  the  great  Cathedral,  which,  when  completed, 
will  be  the  grandest  Gothic  church  in  the  world. 
But  when  that  will  be  no  one  can  tell,  as  it  was  be- 
gun in  1248.  The  towers  are  yet  unfinished,  but 
are  to  be  five  hundred  feet  high.  The  interior  is 
four  hundred  and  forty-eight  feet  long,  and  one 
hundred  and  forty-nine  feet  broad;  the  south  portal 
two  hundred  and  thirty-four  feet  high.  I  am  tired 
looking  at  cathedrals,  yet  they  are  the  places  to 
which  we  are  told  to  go  to  see  the  wonders  of  Europe. 

Sunday  in  Cologne. — I  heard  the  sweet  sound  of 
music  in  a  church  near  us,  and  arose  to  go  again; 
found  an  audience  on  their  knees;  and  as  I  am  on 
my  way  to  Rome  to  do  as  "Rome  does,"  I  knelt  on 
the  chair  and  took  a  view  of  what  was  before  me — 
"Christ  Blessing  the  Children." 

Breakfast  over,  we  go  to  church  again  at  the 
grand  Cathedral,  to  see  the  worship  and  hear  the 
music.  Then  to  the  Church  of  St.  Ursula,  of  the 
twelfth  century,  which  is  reputed  to  hold  the  bones 
of  the  eleven  thousand  virgins  martyred  by  the 
Huns.  These  remains  are  worked  in  the  walls  in  a 
species  of  sepulchral  Mosaic,  and  exhibited  at  every 
available  part  of  the  church.  We  looked  upon  them 
with  sadness — first  at  their,  sacrifice,  if  it  be  so,  and 
then  at  the  folly  of  preserving  such  relics  in  a 


104          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

church.  But  churches,  music,  paintings,  wine  and 
beer,  seem  to  be  the  all-absorbing  things  here.  We 
go  through  the  narrow,  winding  streets  to  the  Eng- 
lish church,  in  a  room  about  twenty-two  feet  square; 
seventy-six  persons  present,  half  of  them  our  party; 
service  one  hour;  then  a  sermon  one-quarter,  and 
we  are  out  again  with  the  crowd  in  the  streets;  the 
stores  open;  business  going  on  as  on  other  days. 
As  we  have  dinner  at  5:30  P.M.,  we  go  to  the  mu- 
seum of  paintings  with  the  crowd.  Some  of  these 
were  very  fine — more  modern  than  any  we  had  seen. 

I  judge  there  must  be  a  large  military  force  here, 
from  the  number  and  kind  of  uniforms  we  see 
everywhere;  guns  are  firing  and  soldiers  marching, 
looking  quite  warlike;  they  are  a  fine-looking  body 
of  men.  We  are  now  on  the  far-famed  Rhine.  One 
very  wide  iron  bridge,  and  one  pontoon  bridge,  sup- 
ported by  some  forty  boats,  span  the  river.  The 
mountains  around,  seen  from  our  (Belleview)  hotel, 
covered  with  fields  and  mansions,  look  sublimely 
beautiful;  but  the  smoke  from  the  chimneys  of  the 
manufactories  show  that  the  Sabbath-day  is  dese- 
crated by  this  people;  yet  the  church-going  bells 
are  continually  sounding,  calling  those  who  are  dis- 
posed to  worship  every  hour.  We,  too,  have  had 
our  worship  in  the  reading-room  of  the  hotel. 

And  with  this  I  close  my  first  Sabbath  on  the  Con- 
tinent. We  go  up  the  Rhine  early  in  J:he  morning. 

Cologne  and  the  Rhine. — This  city  is  in  a  semi- 
circle of  about  seven  miles  in  circumference,  of 
which  the  Rhine  is  the  cord.  The  length  of  the  in- 
ner line  is  about  two  miles.  A  native  settlement  of 
great  antiquity  by  the  Romans,  into  the  Colonia. 
The  Cathedral  was  founded  in  1322.  On  the  24th 
of  August,  1349,  the  houses  of  the  Jews  resident  at 
Cologne  were  set  on  fire,  and  the  greater  part  of 
these  unfortunates,  with  their  families,  perished  in 
the  flames.  Not  for  this  act  of  cruelty,  but  on  ac- 


COLOGNE  AND  THE  RHINE.  105 

count  of  its  rebellious  conduct  toward  the  arch- 
bishops, Cologne  remained  under  the  ban  of  the 
Church  and  the  empire  till  1377.  The  Reformation 
produced  fresh  disturbances,  and  in  1685  more  than 
fourteen  hundred  families  were  forced  to  quit  the 
town.  The  French  took  possession  of  it  in  1794. 
Three  years  later  it  was  incorporated  into  the  French 
republic,  and  at  the  peace  of  1814  it  was  made  over 
to  Prussia.  The  Cathedral  is  the  great  lion  of  the 
place.  It  is  the  largest  Gothic  church  in  the  world. 
The  ground  on  which  it  stands  was  once  a  Roman 
fortress.  It  is  thirty-three  feet  above  the  Rhine. 
The  first  cathedral  was  commenced  in  748;  was 
completed  in  eighty-nine  years,  and  dedicated  to  the 
Apostle  St.  Peter.  It  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1248. 
The  edifice  is  four  hundred  and  forty  feet  long  by 
one  hundred  and  fifty  wide.  It  has  one  hundred 
and  two  columns,  five  and  a-half  feet  in  diameter, 
stained-glass  windows,  fortj^-eight  feet  in  length  by 
sixteen  feet  wide.  In  the  church  are  many  remark- 
able monuments,  and  some  very  fine  paintings.  It 
is  intended  that  the  towers  shall  attain  an  elevation 
of  five  hundred  and  twenty-five,  but  when  they  will 
be  finished  none  can  tell.  They  are  still  working 
on  it.  One  of  the  most  imposing  edifices  is  the 
Church  of  the  Apostles.  The  artillery  barracks 
occupy  a  building  that  was  once  a  monastery,  and 
the  ecclesiastical  seminary  is  in  the  ancient  College 
of  the  Jesuits.  The  residence  of  the  first  and  sec- 
ond commandants,  the  main  guard  of  the  city,  is 
said  to  date  back  to  the  Romans.  The  upper  por- 
tion was. erected  in  1262,  is  one  hundred  feet  high, 
and  is  a  military  prison.  We  saw  more  soldiers 
there  than  we  had  seen  anywhere,  indeed  a  large 
proportion  of  the  men  were  in  uniform.  The 
bridge  of  boats  across  the  Rhine  is  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  feet  long,  and  is  a  great  thorough- 
fare between  the  two  portions  of  the  city.  The 


106          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

iron  railway  bridge  is  also  much  frequented  by  pe- 
destrians. Cologne  is  a  place  of  great  commercial 
activity.  There  are  about  two  hundred  wholesale 
and  commission  houses,  and  about  seven  hundred 
retail  houses,  exclusive  of  wine,  grain,  and  wool 
dealers,  and  the  book  and  print  sellers.  It  has  a 
number  of  manufactories  in  the  city  and  surround- 
ing country.  Previous  to  its  being  incorporated 
with  the  Prussian  territories  it  had  onl;£about  forty 
thousand  inhabitants;  now  it  has  over  one  hundred 
thousand,  besides  the  little  town  opposite  with  five 
thousand,  encompassed  with  fortifications.  From 
here  to  Mayence  is  perhaps  the  most  intensely  in- 
teresting scenery,  with  the  most  thrilling  history 
of  any  in  the  world.  I  shall  never  forget  the  day  we 
spent  on  the  steamer  Emperor  of  German}*,  going 
up  the  Rhine  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles,  stopping 
at  many  places.  Some  of  these  I  propose  to  notice. 
Bonn  is  twenty  miles  distant.  There  was  a  town 
here  before  the  Christian  era;  both  town  and  for- 
tress were  demolished  by  the  Germans  about  the 
middle  of  the  fourth  century.  Ten  buildings  are 
devoted  to  public  worship — eight  to  the  Catholic, 
one  to  the  Protestant,  and  one  to  the  Jews.  The 
most  remarkable  of  these  is  the  Cathedral,  which  is 
said  to  owe  its  origin  to  a  Church  founded  A.D. 
316,  by  St.  Helena.  It  has  a  bronze  statue  of  St. 
Helena,  cast  in  Italy,  in  the  seventeenth  century. 
The  present  edifice  dates  from  the  twelfth  century. 
It  has  four  towers,  a  temple  of  Mars  having  been 
near  it.  The  most  remarkable  building  here  is  the 
University,  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  eighty 
feet  in  length  (about  a  quarter  of  a  mile),  with  three 
hundred  lecture-rooms  and  halls,  with  a  library  of 
one  hundred  thousand  volumes.  In  an  old  house 
with  pointed  gable,  on  the  Rhine  street,  Beethoven 
was  born,  1776,  and  passed  the  years  of  his  youth 
there.  He  died  in  1827. 


ON  THE  EHINE.  107 

Siegberg  is  a  town  of  two  thousand  inhabitants. 
Here  lived  the  king  whose  daughter  married  Armi- 
nias,  who  conquered  the  Romans.  Here  is  a  large 
lunatic  asylum,  two  hundred  feet  high,  and  in  a  ro- 
mantic, healthy  place. 

Godesberg  is  a  lovely  place  in  summer,  with 
pleasure-grounds.  Here  was  a  Roman  watch-tower; 
near  the  tower  is  a  chapel  of  the  seventeenth  cen- 
tury. A  short  distance  above  is  a  monument 
erected  in  honor  of  those  who  fell  at  the  passage  of 
the  Rhine,  in  1814,  and  is  one  of  the  most  celebrated 
in  Europe.  There  are  mountains  some  twelve  hun- 
dred to  thirteen  hundred  feet  high,  with  romantic 
scenery,  and  an  old  castle,  once  a  place  of  much  in- 
terest. 

Remagen  has  three  thousand  inhabitants.  The 
market  frontier  is  composed  of  relics  of  antiquity. 
Then  comes  Erpel,  with  twelve  hundred.  Then  on 
to  Linz,  with  two  thousand  seven  hundred.  Here 
are  slate  factories,  iron-works,  and  other  manufacto- 
ries. The  place  is  very  ancient.  Sinzig,  with  two 
thousand,  is  one  of  the  most  ancient  places  on  the 
Rhine,  having  been  a  Roman  stronghold.  The 
father  of  Charlemagne  created  several  documents 
that  are  still  extant  at  this  place.  A  monastic  nun- 
nery was  erected,  and  a  chapel  by  the  Empress 
Helena.  An  ancient  church  here  is  built  in  the 
form  of  a  cross. 

According  to  the  altarpiece  it  was  here  that  Con- 
stantine  beheld  the  cross  in  the  heavens;  of  this 
nothing  is  certainly  known.  A  curiosity  is  exhibited 
here  of  a  Christian  murnmy,  to  which  the  name  of 
Vogt  has  been  given.  In  former  years  it  used  to  be 
carried  about  in  the  carnival  procession,  decked  out 
in  tawdry  finery.  The  French  carried  it  to  Paris, 
when  it  was  returned  in  1815.  All  along  the  banks 
are  towns,  villages,  and  old  castles  on  the  moun- 
tains, in  glowing  grandeur,  demonstrating  that  this 


108  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

country  has  been  the  most  important  strategic 
point  in  Europe  for  many  ages.  There  Julius  Cesar 
commanded  his  legions,  and  here  Napoleon  I.  moved 
with  such  alacrity  as  to  astonish  and  bewilder  his 
enemies,  as  well  as  conquer  them. 

Andreneah  is  a  town  of  three  thousand  five  hun- 
dred inhabitants.  This  place  is  very  ancient,  even 
fifty  or  sixty  years  before  Christ.  Seven  fairs  are 
held  here  annually.  Fine  yards  abound  here,  ex- 
tending at  times  from  the  water's  edge  to  the  sum- 
mits of  the  mountains. 

Lake  of  Laach,  the  crater  of  an  extinct  volcano, 
the  termination  of  whose  activity  is  supposed  to  be 
four  thousand  years  ago.  The  lava-pits  are  upward 
of  two  hundred  feet  deep,  and  the  thickness  varies 
from  three  hundred  to  four  hundred  feet  deep.  The 
lake  has  twelve  hundred  and  thirty -five  acres,  and 
is  two  hundred  and  eighteen  feet  deep.  Here  was 
an  old  castle  and  monastery.  A  fine  church  has 
been  restored  by  the  King  of  Prussia. 

Newied  has  six  thousand  two  hundred  inhabitants, 
including  all  professions.  The  town  is  divided  into 
twenty-five  blocks,  five  streets  lengthwise,  with  four 
cross  streets.  The  palace  in  which  the  prince  resides 
was  completed  in  1722,  and  connects  with  the  castle 
garden,  in  which  is  the  residence  of  the  celebrated 
Brazilian  traveler,  Prince  Maximilian,  and  of  his 
brother,  Prince  Charles,  and  here  also  are  the  meetr 
ing-houses  of  American  preachers,  and  a  synagogue. 

Coblence  owes  its  origin  to  a  Roman  fort.  It  re- 
tained its  sovereignty  for  over  eight  hundred  years. 
The  French  emigrants  made  it  their  head-quarters 
in  1791.  The  town  was  occupied  by  the  Republican 
troops,  and  was  soon  after  incorporated  in  the  French 
territories,  in  the  beginning  of  1814,  and  by  the 
Congress  of  Vienna  made  over  to  Prussia,  together 
with  the  Rhine  Province.  At  that  time  the  popula- 
tion was  seven  hundred;  it  now  numbers  two  thou- 


EHENISH  TOWNS.  109 

sand  eight  hundred,  exclusive  of  five  thousand 
soldiers  distributed  among  the  various  fortifications. 
There  are  eight  Catholic  churches,  one  Protestant, 
and  one  synagogue.  The  Electoral  Palace  was 
built  between  1778  and  1781.  It  is  five  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  in  length,  and  three  stories  high; 
that  portion  of  the  edifice  which  projects  in  a  horse- 
shoe form,  has  a  longitudinal  diameter  of  three 
hundred  and  eighty-five  feet.  The  apartments  re- 
cently fitted  up  for  the  reception  of  royalty  are  of 
handsome  proportions,  and  delightfully  situated  to- 
ward the  Rhine. 

St.  Goar,  with  a  population  of  one  thousand  seven 
hundred,  owes  its  name  to  him  who  settled  here  in 
575  to  inculcate  the  doctrines  of  Christianity.  The 
cell  once  inhabited  by  the  holy  man  became  a  church 
of  pilgrimage,  out  of  the  ruins  of  which  the  present 
Protestant  church  arose  in  1469.  In  it  there  are 
several  monuments. 

Oberwesel  contains  three  thousand  three  hundred 
inhabitants.  The  ancient  town  wall  was  three 
thousand  four  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  in 
length.  The  rotund  battlements,  gates,  and  turrets, 
present  a  very  picturesque  subject.  An  extensive 
castle  is  still  in  existence,  which  belongs  to  Prince 
Albert  of  Prussia. 

Caub,  with  two  thousand  inhabitants,  at  the  foot 
of  a  steep  hill,  on  a  rocky  projection  of  which  is 
situated  a  castle.  The  town  took  its  rise  in  the 
eighth  century.  In  1805  this  castle  was  in  a  good 
state  of  preservation,  but  Napoleon,  in  his  passage 
over  the  Rhine,  having  been  saluted  by  cannon-balls 
from  its  battlements,  gave  orders  for  its  immediate 
demolition. 

Just  above,  at  Bacharack,  is  a  small  ancient  town 
of  one  thousand  five  hundred  souls.  Here  is  a  castle 
now  owned  by  the  Queen  of  Prussia.  Its  walls  are 
fourteen  feet  thick.  During  the  thirty  years'  war  it 


110          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

was  taken  eight  times.  Here  also  is  a  Protestant 
church  which  formerly  belonged  to  the  Knight 
Templars.  It  was  built  in  the  tenth  century,  and  is 
in  a  very  remarkable  style.  There  are  many  other 
places  of  interest,  with  castles  away  up  on  the  moun- 
tains, some  of  them  having  been  there  over  two 
thousand  years.  Take  this  country  altogether,  it  is 
the  most  romantic,  the  most  sublime  and  magnifi- 
cent, there  is  in  the  world.  It  possesses  more  his- 
toric interest  than  any  other.  The  most  powerful 
nations  of  the  world  have  here  met  in  mortal,  com- 
bat for  its  possession.  For  thousands  of  years  it 
has  been  the  scene  of  the  most  fearful  conflicts, 
while  the  waters  of  this  classic  river  have  been  crim- 
soned with  the  blood  of  thousands  who  live  in  the 
annals  of  history,  and  whose  names  have  been  handed 
down  to  posterity  as  the  world's  conquerors. 

No  one  who  visits  Europe  should  fail  to  see  the 
Rhine.  They  will  be  amply  compensated  for  the 
time  and  money  expended  viewing  these  time-hon- 
ored places,  where  the  world's  heroes  have  performed 
deeds  of  valor  along  the  banks  of  this  most  interest- 
ing of  all  the  rivers  of  Europe. 


From  Cologne  to  Munich. — The  Ehineand  its  marvelous  beau- 
ties— How  railroads  are  run  in  Germany — The  people  and 
their  habits  —  A  day  in  Mayence  —  Guttenberg's  statue — 
Munich  and  its  attractions,  etc.,  etc. 

MUNICH,  Bavaria,  July  15,  1873. 

My  last  was  written  from  Cologne,  where  we  spent 
the  Sabbath.  It  is  the  capital  of  the  province,  and 
the  first  walled  city  we  have  seen.  It  is  in  the  form 
of  a  crescent,  about  seven  miles  around  it.  It  was  a 
Roman  colony,  and  takes  its  name  from  that  fact. 
During  the  middle  ages,  and  for  a  long  period,  it 
was  one  of  the  most  populous  cities  in  Europe. 


KOMANTIC  SCENERY  OF  THE  KHINE.         Ill 

Monday  morning,  after  visiting  the  barracks  and 
seeing  the  soldiers  parade — among  them  Bismarck's 
regiment  of  cavalry — we  cross  on  the  pontoon 
bridge,  and  take  the  finest  boat  on  the  river,  called 
the  Emperor  of  Germany,  for  Mayence,  some  one 
hundred  and  twenty  miles  above,  at  the  head  of  steam 
navigation.  I  have  heard  much  of  the  scenery  of 
the  Rhine,  but  it  far  exceeded  my  most  sanguine 
expectations.  For  about  twenty  miles,  to  Bonn,  the 
land  is  low,  with  some  fine  buildings  seen  in  the 
distance;  but  after  we  pass  that  place,  the  moun- 
tains on  either  side,  rising  higher  as  we  ascend, 
present  the  beautifully  grand,  not  excelled,  perhaps, 
in  the  world.  For  a  while  we  were  inclined  to 
think  the  scenery  of  the  Hudson  equally  grand,  but 
soon  every  one  acknowledged  there  was  no  com- 
parison. There  is  an  amphitheater  of  undulating 
heights,  with  imposing  piles  of  old  citadels,  some 
of  them  dating  back  before  the  Christian  era,  that 
bewilders  the  imagination.  The  bold  summits  and 
picturesque  outlines,  and  the  luxuriant,  vine-clad, 
terraced  hills,  utterly  defy  description — so  I  shall 
not  attempt  it.  Just  to  think  of  some  of  these  old 
forts,  which  have  been  here  since  the  days  of  Julius 
Cesar,  and  the  countless  millions  who  have  lived, 
fought,  and  died  along  these  banks,  and  see  the  nu- 
merous old  castles,  "grand,  gloomy,  and  peculiar," 
upon  the  summits  of  those  mountains  overlooking 
the  Rhine,  and  then  think  of  Napoleon's  rapid 
marches  across  this  stream,  affords  food  for  thought 
more  impressive  than  any  I  have  ever  seen.  Some 
of  these  old  castles  have  been  rebuilt,  and  are  now 
owned  and  occupied  as  summer  resorts  for  royalty. 
We  spent  the  day  on  deck,  with  our  guides,  glasses, 
and  photographs  procured  at  Cologne,  viewing  what 
has  been  for  more  than  two  thousand  years  one 
of  the  most  important  strategic  countries  on  the 
globe. 


112          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

We  arrived  at  Mayence  after  nightfall;  sleep 
awhile,  and  as  we  have  but  a  few  hours  there,  we  are 
off  early  to  see  the  city,  which  is  lost  in  a  haze  of 
antiquity.  It  was  once  a  Roman  fortress,  and  is 
nowT  strongly  fortified.  The  town  and  fortress  were 
surrendered  to  the  allies  on  the  14th  of  May,  1814. 
Its  population  is  now  only  forty-four  thousand,  and 
a  garrison  of  eight  thousand  Prussian  soldiers. 

As  usual,  the  old  cathedral  is  the  first  object  of 
interest.  There  is  a  gloomy  grandeur  about  it. 
The  red  sandstone  of  which  it  is  built  is  yielding  to 
time's  influence,  and  they  are  repairing  a  portion  of 
it.  It  was  founded  in  the  eighth  century,  and  it  is 
said  that  no  church  in  Germany  contains  so  many 
monuments  and  epitaphs  as  this. 

But  I  am  now  out  with  these,  and  turn  away 
from  them  to  one  of  far  more  interest  to  me  than 
any  that  I  have  ever  seen.  It  is  the  monument  to 
Guttenberg,  the  inventor  of  that  art  by  which  my 
hasty  scribbling,  while  my  company  is  reposing  in 
the  arms  of  Morpheus,  can  be  deciphered  by  you, 
perhaps,  Mr.  Printer,  and  given  to  the  readers  of 
the  Avalanche  some  of  these  mornings.  Yes,  here 
he  was  born,  here  he  was  brought  up — the  house 
still  stands  near  the  hotel — and  here  he  invented 
"the  art  preservative  of  all  arts."  I  felt  a  profound 
veneration  for  the  man  as  I  gazed  upon  the  statue, 
and  transcribed  the  following  inscription  from  his 
monument:  "An  art  which  neither  the  Greeks  nor 
the  Romans  understood,  the  genius  of  a  German 
found  out;  and  whatsoever  the  ancients  knew,  and 
the  moderns  know,  is  not  for  himself,  but  for  all 
mankind."  On  one  side  of  the  monument  is  a 
printing-press,  and  the  discoverer  reading  the  proof; 
on  the  other  this:  "The  citizens  of  Mayence  erected 
this  monument  to  Guttenberg  by  money  collected 
throughout  Europe.  Erected  in  1837." 

We  visited  the  vegetable  market,  which,  as  usual, 


RAILROADS  OF  GERMANY.  113 

is  attended  only  by  women,  out  in  the  open  air,  and 
some  other  places;  but  soon  we  are  off  for  Munich, 
at  10  o'clock. 

The  country  is  variegated  for  the  two  hundred 
and  seventy-nine  miles  we  travel  to-day,  all  in  a  tine 
state  of  cultivation.  Here  we  see  orchards,  vine- 
yards, old  castles,  modern  fortifications,  rifle-pits, 
etc. — all  looks  warlike.  The  women  seem  to  do  the 
work,  the  men  the  fighting.  Along  the  Danube  the 
land  is  very  fertile. 

My  sheet  is  full,  and  I  will  suspend  until  I  can  see 
something  of  this  capital  before  I  conclude. 

Wednesday. — We  slept  a  few  hours  in  a  regular 
German  bed,  taking  off  the  feather-bed  used  as  a 
covering.  We  have  a  fine  view  of  a  park  and  mon- 
uments from  our  windows. 

Having  a  few  moments,  I  wish  to  say  a  few  words 
about  the  railroads  of  this  country.  I  have  seen 
none  of  wider  gauge  than  four  feet;  that  seems  to 
be  the  width  of  all.  They  run  about  fifteen  to 
twenty-five  miles  per  hour,  and  make  but  few  stops. 
Their  carriages  are  English  style,  for  six  or  eight 
persons.  Every  mile  there  is  a  telegraph  office,  and 
a  man  always  on  duty.  As  the  train  passes  he 
raises  his  hand  to  his  hat  to  let  it  be  known  that  all 
is  right  ahead. 

Sights  in  Munich. — At  7  o'clock  A.M.,  soon  after 
breakfast,  we  went  out,  with  a  guide,  to  see  all  we 
could  in  one  day.  First,  to  the  collection  of  statu- 
ary from  various  countries,  ancient  and  modern, 
embracing  many  men  who  have  distinguished  them- 
selves by  their  works  in  history.  A  mere  mention 
of  their  names  would  be  tedious.  The  most  mag- 
nificent buildings  have  been  erected  for  them,  fin- 
ished oft'  in  the  most  exquisite  modern  style  of 
architecture,  and  decorations  of  the  most  gorgeous 
character. 

We  then  go  to  the  public  galleries  of  paintings. 


114          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

In  the  first  room  we  find  a  large  painting  of  Maxi- 
milian Emmanuel  I. ;  Maximilian,  King  of  Bavaria; 
Theodor,  and  others.  "The  Crucifixion,"  "Taking 
Down  from  the  Cross,"  etc.,  in  several  pictures,  were 
very  impressive.  "The  Apostles,"  as  it  is  supposed 
they  looked,  are  painted  in  the  most  life-like  man- 
ner. "John's  Revelations,"  in  the  Isle  of  Patmos, 
with  the  river  and  tree  of  life,  and  the  hanging 
fruits,  were  very  fine.  The  "Last  Judgment"  was 
terrific.  There  were  some  fifteen  hundred,  in  per- 
haps twenty  or  more  rooms,  selected  from  the  finest 
paintings  in  the  world,  collected  here.  This  being 
the  capital  of  Bavaria,  King  Louis  I.  has  made  a 
thousand  costly  improvements,  and  it  now  rivals 
Paris  and  Rome  as  a  repository  of  art. 

The  next  place  we  visit  is  the  Royal  Palace.  It  is 
open  for  visitors  from  11  to  12  o'clock;  but  our 
part}7,  being  from  America,  were  permitted  to  go 
after  the  crowd  had  gone,  and  look  through  all  the 
apartments,  ancient  as  well  as  modern.  The  king 
being  absent,  we  went  into  his  private  as  well  as 
his  public  State  apartments.  The  great  Splendor 
Throne  room,  with  its  noble  historic  bronze  statues, 
fine  pictures  and  frescoes,  is  said  to  be  one  of  the 
finest  collections  in  the  world.  In  the  ancient  por- 
tion were  many  things  that  have  had  their  day,  and 
live  only  in  the  history  of  the  past.  There  is  the 
bed  of  Charles  VII.,  which  bed  cost  over  three  hun- 
dred thousand  dollars,  currency.  The  tapestry  took 
forty  persons  fifteen  years  to  make  it.  The  ball- 
room is  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  long  by  seventy- 
three  broad,  and  is  lighted  by  about  a  thousand 
candles.  Such  splendor  dazzles  the  populace,  and 
makes  them  venerate  royalty.  Napoleon  spent  one 
day  here,  when  he  suffered  himself  to  acknowledge 
the  power  of  the  Pope.  He  would  not  sleep  on 
that  fine  bed,  but  slept  on  his  own  camp-bed  in  the 
palace.  There  are  the  portraits  of  thirty-six  of  the 


BRONZE  STATUES.  115 

most  beautiful  women  of  Bavaria  here.  This  is  the 
first  time  we  have  ever  seen  inside  of  royalty,  and 
I  must  confess  that  when  the  people  have  been 
brought  up  to  it,  there  is  something  fascinating 
about  it  to  them. 

These  people  take  great  pride  in  their  bronze 
statue  manufactory.  After  having  seen  so  many  of 
them,  we  felt  like  seeing  them  made,  and,  after 
spending  considerable  time  at  the  palace,  we  took 
carnages  and  went  to  see  them.  The  model  of 
Washington,  that  stands  in  Washington  Square, 
New  York,  was  the  first  that  attracted  our  attention. 
There  were  quite  a  number  of  American  models — 
Benton,  Peabody,  and  others  whom  we  honor.  They 
say  the  largest  one  ever  made  is  the  statue  of  "  Ba- 
varia," sixty-six  feet  high.  A  lion  of  like  proportions 
stands  by  her  side.  A  bird  has  its  nest  in  his 
mouth.  Some  three  or  four  of  us  went  up  inside 
the  statue.  Others  were  there,  and  seven  of  us 
could  stand  in  the  neck.  I  felt  like  the  author  of  a 
guide-book,  advising  others  to  keep  out  of  it. 
Munich  is  the  best-built  city  we  have  seen  on  the 
Continent.  The  streets  in  the  new  part  are  wide, 
and  straight,  with  many  public  buildings,  and 
grounds  tastefully  laid  off,  and  finely  improved.  It 
has  a  population  of  over  two  hundred  thousand, 
and,  though  it  has  a  king,  is  a  part  of  the  German 
Empire. 

The  people  are  intelligent,  refined,  and  (as  all 
Germans  are)  fond  of  music.  While  I  write  a  band 
of  one  hundred  instruments  is  playing  not  far  away. 
I  think  they  have  about  ten  thousand  soldiers  here. 
They  are  seen  wherever  you  go — finely  uniformed, 
well  equipped  for  their  profession  of  arms.  There 
is  a  beautiful  little  river  running  through  the  city, 
the  Aar,  affording  immense  water-power.  We  leave 
in  the  morning  for  Vienna,  where  we  hope  to  meet 
friends  from  our  Bluff  City. 


116          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

From  Munich  to  Vienna — Notes  by  the  wayside — The  Aus- 
trian Capital  and  the  Exposition — Sights  and  improvements 
— Condition  of  the  people  of  Europe — Something  for  Ameri- 
cans to  think  about — Some  of  the  features  of  the  great  Ex- 
position— Sights  and  sight-seers. 

VIENNA,  Austria,  July  19,  1873. 

"We  left  Munich  Thursday  morning  for  this  place. 
The  country  through  which  we  passed  was  more  di- 
versified than  any  we  have  seen  in  Europe.  For 
some  fifty  miles  it  was  level,  covered  with  a  luxuri- 
ant crop  of  grass  and  grain,  with  vegetables.  The 
people  live  in  villages,  and  some  of  them  must  go 
miles  to  their  work;  one  church  usually  in  a  vil- 
lage, all  of  olden-time  appearance.  At  the  railroad- 
stations  there  are  buildings  of  more  modern  style. 
"We  pass  over,  or  rather  through,  a  mountainous 
region.  Some  of  them  very  high  ;  green  vegetation 
all  over  them,  while  on  the  northern  sides  the  snow, 
glistening  in  the  sunshine,  presented  a  beautiful  pic- 
ture for  the  artist,  and  might  have  inspired  the 
spirit  of  poetry  in  our  youthful  days. 

Wayside  Notes. — We  pass  through  some  timbered 
country,  and  then  emerge  again  into  fields  of  grain 
as  far  as  we  can  see,  ripe  to  the  harvest.  We  see 
men  at  work  in  the  fields  to-day.  The  women  with 
thetr  broad  sun-bonnets  are  there  too,  in  great  num- 
bers, at  work.  A  rich  scene  occurred  at  a  town 
where  we  passed  from  Bavaria  into  Austria.  Our 
conductor  thought  he  had  made  arrangements  to  go 
through,  near  three  hundred  miles,  without  change 
of  cars.  We  stopped  for  dinner  on  the  line  (re- 
member every  one  must  take  care  of  their  own 
baggage  in  the  cars,  holding,  some  three,  others  six 
persons).  They  have,  as  usual,  every  thing  in  the 
car.  About  the  time  they  got  fairly  at  gobbling 
down  a  hasty  lunch,  it  wras  announced  we  must 
change  cars.  A  rush  was  made  for  them  by  a  party 
of  fifty  of  our  company  about  half  of  them  women ; 


IMMENSITY  OF  BUILDINGS.  117 

just  at  that  time  the  train  rolls  off.  It  was  amusing 
to  see  the  effect  produced:  believing  all  would 
come  out  right,  I  enjoyed  it  hugely.  After  awhile 
the  train  returned,  and  all  the  baggage  safe,  and  we 
are  off  on  Austrian  cars. 

In  Vienna. — We  got  here  about  11  P.M.,  found 
conveyances  waiting  for  us,  and  soon  we  are  going 
at  a  rapid  speed,  some  miles,  it  seemed,  to  our  mag- 
nificent Hotel  de  France. 

Early  in  the  morning  we  are  off  for  the  Exposi- 
tion, by  street-car.  It  is  some  two  and  a-half  to 
three  miles,  through  very  wide  streets  some  distance 
— the  boulevards — then  across  the  river,  and  in  a 
magnificent  park,  of  about  one  thousand  acres,  we 
find  the  World's  Fair.  There  is  no  use  in  attempt- 
ing to  describe  it.  This  you  have  doubtless  seen  by 
others  who  had  time  that  I  have  not.  Just  imagine 
the  finest  stores  with  their  finest  things;  the  most 
extensive  manufactories  with  their  most  costly  fab- 
rics, and  the  machinery  running  by  which  they  are 
made,  actually  at  work  in  the  building;  the  most 
valuable,  as  well  as  the  most  useful  metals;  the 
finest  sculpture  and  paintings  from  Italy  and  other 
nations.  In  a  word,  the  richest,  rarest,  and  the 
most  remarkable  productions  in  material  and  man- 
ufactured goods  that  the  nations  of  earth  could 
produce  are  here  on  exhibition.  Volumes  might  be 
filled  with  descriptions  of  them. 

The  buildings  are  the  largest  of  the  kind  that 
have  ever  been  built.  They  exceed  by  far  all  pre- 
vious ones  at  London  and  Paris.  Having  visited 
the  Crystal  Palace  the  last  day  I  spent  in  London,  I 
should  judge  these  buildings  contain  several  times 
the  space  that  does.  That  is  mainly  of  glass,  this  is 
mostly  of  iron.  This  is  one  very  long  building,  with 
a  central  dome.  The  main  gallery,  or  the  nave,  is 
intersected  in  the  middle  in  two  equal  parts  by  the 
rotunda,  which  is  the  greatest  circumference  that 


118          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

has  ever  been  covered  without  pillars.  "We  went  up 
on  that  and  had  a  splendid  view  of  the  city  and  the 
surroundings.  I  stepped  it,  and  found  its  circum- 
ference over  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  In  the  distance 
can  be  seen  the  battle-ground  of  Wagram,  where 
Napoleon  fought  one  of  his  greatest  battles.  The 
charge  of  McDonald,  with  some  sixteen  thousand 
men,  by  which  he  lost  all  but  one  thousand,  is  one 
of  the  most  remarkable  in  the  history  of  this  won- 
derful man.  From  this  point  we  have  a  bird's-eye 
view  of  the  nations  of  earth,  as  their  houses  are  ar- 
ranged around  the  building.  I  am  tired  of  ancient 
warlike  things.  What  is  the  present  condition  of 
this  people  is  a  more  important  and  practical  ques- 
tion than  to  recount  their  deeds  of  valor,  or  look  at 
the  monuments  intended  to  perpetuate  their  mem- 
ory. I  think  they 'are  a  more  intellectual  people 
than  any  we  have  seen  since  we  left  England,  but 
morally  I  think  they  are  deeply  degraded.  The  first 
thing  that  I  saw  as  I  looked  out  of  my  window  on 
Sabbath-morning  was  men  turning  a  windlass  to  el- 
evate the  brick  upon  a  large  building  near  at  hand. 
The  next  was  eight  women  making  up  mortar,  some 
conveying  it  up  in  tubs  for  the  masons,  or  rather 
emptying  it  in  something  to  be  carried  up,  and  thus 
they  have  toiled  on,  desecrating  the  Sabbath,  which 
seems  to  be  only  a  holiday  at  every  place  we  have 
been  in  Europe.  No  legal  Sabbath  is  recognized 
anywhere  that  we  have  seen.  They  may  have  a 
religion,  but  I  think  it  is  mainly  of  imposing  forms, 
and  to  us  unmeaning  ceremonials,  while  the  practi- 
cal duties  of  morality  and  religion  are  ignored  by 
the  masses  of  the  people  of  -all  classes. 

From  all  I  can  learn  we  have  but  few  emigrants 
from  Austria  to  the  United  States.  I  think  the  la- 
boring classes  know  but  little  of  America,  nor  do  I 
think  their  rulers  intend  that  they  shall  learn  much, 
only  to  toil  on  to  keep  up  royalty  and  superstition. 


No  LEGAL  SABBATH.  119 

The  introduction  of  railroads,  and  the  number  of 
American  travelers,  will,  I  think,  have  a  tendency 
to  turn  the  attention  of  this  people  to  the  New 
World,  about  which,  I  think,  they  now  hear  but 
little. 

The  women  have  a  hard  time  of  it  all  over  this 
country.  They  labor  hard  in  the  cities,  and  do 
most  of  the  work  in  the  country.  One  reason,  no 
doubt,  is  that  so  many  men  are  required  to  keep 
their  regular  armies. 

This  is  the  first  Sabbath  that  we  have  not  attended 
religious  service  several  times.  "We  knew  of  no 
place  where  any  worship  would  be  held  that  we 
could  understand,  so  we  made  a  virtue  of  necessity, 
and  have  made  it  a  day  of  rest,  which  we  all  very 
much  needed,  as  we  have  had  a  laborious  week 
since  we  left  Cologne.  The  last  two  days,  for 
twelve  consecutive  hours  each,  we  have  been  going 
through  and  around  the  Exposition,  and  we  were 
tired  down,  and  worn 'out  with  it. 

To-morrow  morning,  at  five  o'clock,  we  start  for 
Venice,  to  travel  all  day  and  night,  to  see  the  water 
city.  As  our  traveling  there  will  be  along  the 
streets,  in  gondolas,  we  anticipate  some  repose.  I 
will  say  just  here,  that  whoever  comes  to  Europe 
expecting  a  pleasure  trip  will  be  disappointed.  It 
is  a  hard  task  to  perform,  which  I  expected,  but  we 
have  fine  health,  and  are  able  to  eat  all  the}-  give  us 
at  the  hotels,  and  more  too.  There  has  been  quite 
a  falling  off,  from  our  four  or  five  meals  a  day  on 
the  ship,  down  to  two,  and  they  but  small  affairs  at 
best.  Labor  is  very  cheap  here,  so  they  can  afford 
to  keep  waiters  for  near  two  hours  to  hand  around, 
in  some  ten  or  twelve  courses,  what  a  hungry  man 
could  eat  in  as  many  minutes;  but  after  all  we  may 
learn  an  important  lesson — to  eat  slowly.  I  believe 
most  of  these  people  live  at  the  restaurants  and 
beer-gardens.  Men  and  women  spend  their  time 


120          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 

there  promiscuously,  and  seem  to  enjoy  themselves 
hugely,  socially,  around  the  thousands  of  tables  we 
see  all  over  the  city.  The  water  here  is  not  consid- 
ered healthy,  and  we  have  to  drink  beer,  too,  in 
self-defense. 

Happy  America. — I  think  we  will  all  appreciate 
and  love  our  own  land  much  better  than  we  have 
done  after  this  tour  in  Europe.  I  have  now  scribbled 
my  thoughts  just  as  they  came  up,  without  the 
slightest  regard  to  manner  or  matter.  If  there  is 
any  thing  that  will  interest  your  readers  you  can 
give  it  to  them,  only  give  it  in  broken  doses.  As  it 
is  near  dinner-time,  6:30  P.M.,  and  my  sheet  is  full, 
I  will  close  for  the  present. 


VIENNA,  July  20,  1873. 

The  Austrian  Capital. — Vienna  is  the  capital  city, 
and  residence  of  the  Austrian  Emperor.  It  is  situ- 
ated in  a  wide  valle}7,  surrounded  by  hills,  on  the 
southern  arm  of  the  Danube.  The  small  Kiver 
"Wien"  runs  through  it,  which  has  fifteen  bridges, 
and  Danube  Canal  has  eight,  connecting  the  city. 

Vienna  has  improved  faster  in  the  last  few  years 
than  any  city  in  Europe.  In  1857,  with  its  nine 
districts,  it  only  numbered  fifty-six  thousand;  in 
1864  there  were  five  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  six 
hundred.  This  rapid  increase  has  been  owing  to 
the  fact  that  previously  it  had  been  kept  within  the 
fortifications.  In  1858  these  limits  were  removed, 
and  now  the  population  is  nine  hundred  and  one 
thousand  three  hundred  and  eighty.  It  is  the  best- 
built  city  we  have  visited  in  Europe.  The  new  por- 
tion has  wide  streets,  and  extensive  boulevards,  but 
in  the  old  part  the  streets  are  like  all  others  we 
have  seen,  narrow  and  crooked.  The  buildings  are 
very  large,  nearly  all  stone,  or  stuccoed  like  it,  pre- 
senting a  beautiful  white  appearance.  The  suburbs 
have  been  fortified  with  the  still-existing  wall  of 


EMPEROR  OF  AUSTRIA.  121 

1704.  The  French  occupied  it  twice  for  a  short 
time,  in  1806  and  1809.  The  celebrated  Congress 
of  1814  and  1815  was  held  here.  The  year  1848 
brought  along  with  it  the  insurrection,  and  ended 
with  the  occupying  of  the  city  in  October. 

The  present  emperor,  Francis  Joseph,  has  done 
much  for  the  city.  He  has  taken  a  deep  interest  in 
the  Exposition.  He  gave  his  private  gardens  to  be 
used  for  the  houses  of  the  nations,  on  the  outskirts, 
and  his  eight  fountains  and  lakes  add  much  to  the 
beauty  of  the  surroundings.  We  had  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  him  yesterday  without  the  trappings  of 
royalty.  He  is  a  tall,  spare-built  man,  keen  eye, 
quick  movements  physically,  and,  I  "guess,"  men- 
tally; well  dressed,  in  a  kind  of  loose  sacque  coat, 
with  sword,  cap,  and  spurs.  Though  taller,  he  re- 
minded me  in  his  appearance  and  movements  of 
A.  T.  Stewart,  of  New  York.  We  did  not  seek  to 
enter  his  palace,  but  we  looked  around  it  and  saw 
inside,  but  it  does  not  begin  to  compare  with  the 
King  of  Bavaria's  Palace.  Notwithstanding  the 
rapid  increase  in  the  population  of  this  city,  and 
the  vast  improvement  in  the  new  portion  of  it, 
making  it  one  of  the  handsomest  cities  of  Europe, 
it  is  far  less  powerful  as  a  capital  and  political  center 
than  it  was  before  the  commencement  of  those 
late  revolutions  which  have  freed  Italy  and  concen- 
trated Northern  Germany.  They  have  about  twelve 
thousand  soldiers  in  the  city.  It  must,  however,  be 
regarded  as  among  the  most  noted  cities,  having 
been  founded  by  the  Romans,  and  afterward  the 
Capital  of  the  Eastern  Province  of  Charlemagne, 
seat  of  the  Court  of  Hungary  in  1484,  and  soon 
after,  to  this  time,  the  Capital  of  Austria.  The 
present  emperor  has  expended  a  vast  amount  of 
money  upon  it  to  make  it  the  rival  of  Paris.  It  has 
a  circumference  of  some  sixteen  miles,  including 
the  new  portion.  Its  imperial  library  is  said  to 
6 


122          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

contain  four  hundred  thousand  volumes,  from  twenty 
thousand  to  thirty  thousand  manuscripts,  and  over 
three  hundred  thousand  engravings.  They  boast 
of  St.  Stephen's  Cathedral,  of  the  twelfth  century, 
with  a  splendid  spire,  only  second  in  height  to  that 
of  Strasburg.  We  visited  St.  Peter's  Church, 
modeled  after  St.  Peter's  of  Rome,  in  which  we  ex- 
pect to  worship  next  Sabbath.  Here  we  saw  the 
representation  of  Peter  and  the  cock  which  crowed 
when  he  denied  his  Master.  There  are  here  laid 
away  two  skeletons,  one  of  them  a  pope,  in  the  most 
gorgeous  array  of  glittering  diamonds  I  ever  saw. 
What  folly  to  keep  such  relics  as  these  in  their 
churches !  The  Burg,  or  Imperial  Palace  of  Austria, 
is  an  irregular  building,  dating  and  remodeled  from 
the  thirteenth  century. 

We  saw  the  house  in  which  the  wife  of  Napo- 
leon lived  whom  he  married  after  the  divorce  of 
Josephine.  This  place  seemed  to  have  been  an 
unfortunate  one  for  the  French  Emperor.  Here 
is  where  his  son,  the  Duke  of  Reichstadt,  died, 
in  this  church  he  is  buried,  and  the  city  in  which 
the  Congress  was  held  that  terminated  his  eventful 
career. 

The  imperial  arsenal  contains  extensive  barracks, 
and  a  very  large  collection  of  arms,  ancient  and 
modern,  in  Europe.  We  went  round  to  see  the  differ- 
ent nations,  living  as  they  do  in  their  countries,  and  at 
work  making  the  things  they  have  on  exhibition. 
This  was  very  interesting,  to  see  the  Egyptians, 
Chinese,  Japanese,  Siamese,  Portuguese,  Russians, 
Grecians,  Turks,  Persians,  and  how  many  others  I 
can't  tell,  as  they  are  seen  in  their  own  lands.  This 
was  to  me  intensely  interesting.  But  I  must  go 
back  into  the  Exposition  building,  entering  as  we 
do  at  the  west  end.  The  side  gallery  on  the  right 
belongs  to  the  United  States,  as  well  as  the  open 
court  abutting  upon  it.  This  was  originally  ceded 


OKDER  OF  THE  EXPOSITION.  123 

to  England,  but  she  generously  ceded  it  to  us.  I 
am  sorry  to  say  we  are  so  poorly  represented.  I 
presume  our  people  inferred  it  would  not  pay  to 
come  so  far  to  exhibit  what  they  had  to  show,  and 
they  declined  coming.  The  sewing-machine  men 
are  well  represented  here.  I  observed  one  bale  of 
fine  cotton  from  Memphis,  by  Messrs.  J.  W.  Jeffer- 
son &  Co.  There  was  also  cotton  from  other  South- 
ern States. 

A  quarter  of  the  first  side  gallery  belongs  to  En- 
gland, the  rest  to  South  America.  You  are  now  in 
the  third  main  gallery,  or  nave,  which,  with  the 
second  and  third  transverse  galleries,  and  open 
courts  lying  between,  belongs  to  England.  These 
are  well  filled  with  the  products  of  old  England,  of 
which  her  people  may  well  be  proud,  in  many 
respects. 

Next  comes  France,  which  extends  in  the  nave 
from  the  third  transverse  gallery  to  well-nigh  the 
sixth.  She  has  three  covered  courts  between  the 
third  and  sixth,  and  the  open  court  between  the 
third  and  fourth  transverse  galleries  on  the  south. 
Here  is  a  grand  display,  surpassing  all  others,  I  think, 
in  some  respects. 

The  fifth  gallery  on  the  south  belongs  to  Switzer- 
land, as  well  as  the  court  touching  upon  it. 

The  sixth  transverse  gallery  belongs  to  Italy,  as 
well  as  the  open  court  on  the  south  side. 

Belgium  comes  next',  occupying  the  portion  of  the 
nave  between  the  sixth  and  seventh  transverse  gal- 
leries. The  space  in  the  nave  is  occupied  by  Hol- 
land and  Sweden. 

You  have  now  reached  the  central  part  of  the 
building,  surrounding  the  rotunda.  It  forms  a 
square,  and  four  galleries  all  around.  Two  galleries 
are  here  allotted  to  Germany,  as  she  occupies  the 
center  of  Europe.  Next  comes  Austria,  which  has 
the  eastern  gallery  of  the  central  square,  and  the 


124          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

next  three  transepts,  with  the  eight  courts  lying  be- 
tween them,  of  which  seven  are  covered.  Hungary 
has  the  next  transverse  gallery,  with  the  space  in 
the  nave  intersecting  it.  Russia  has  the  eleventh 
and  twelfth  galleries ;  Greece  the  thirteenth.  The 
southern  portion  is  divided  between  Tunis,  Morocco, 
and  Egypt,  while  the  nave  and  half  of  the  northern 
portion  belong  to  Turkey,  Persia,  Central  Asia,  and 
Roumania.  The  last  gallery,  forming  the  eastern 
facade  and  entrance,  is  shared  by  Turkey  in  the 
south,  China,  Japan,  and  Siam,  in  the  north.  The 
same  geographical  arrangement  has  likewise  been 
adopted  in  the  machinery-hall.  The  other  countries 
that  could  not  be  accommodated  in  the  hall  have 
two  buildings  allotted  to  them,  on  the  right  and  left 
of  the  hall.  Denmark,  Sweden,  Norway,  and  Prus- 
sia, have  each  one  hall;  Germany,  Austria,  and 
France  have  each  two,  Hungary  one. 

Take  it  altogether,  it  no  doubt  far  exceeds  any 
thing  that  has  ever  been.  The  buildings,  covering 
one  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  ground,  and  the 
vast  amount  and  variety  of  things  on  exhibition, 
come  up  to,  and  far  exceed,  the  expectations  of  those 
wrho  have  visited  it,  but  it  has  been,  financially,  a 
terrible  failure.  It  has  not  attracted  the  world's  at- 
tention as  was  expected.  Millions  of  money  have 
been  expended  that  will  prove  a  loss  to  the  projectors, 
and  those  associated  with  them.  The  policy  pur- 
sued at  first  has  kept  thousands  away,  and  shortened 
the  visits  of  those  who  came.  Extortion  is  realized 
everywhere,  in  and  out  of  the  Exposition.  The  re- 
sult is  that  not  one-half  of  the  people  have  been 
here  that  were  expected,  had  a  different  policy  been 
pursued.  The  machinery  part  of  the  Exposition  is 
all  that  could  be  desired.  There  you  see,  as  nowhere 
else  you  can,  how  hundreds  of  things  are  made,  all 
in  a  few  hours.  My  eight  pages  are  filled,  and  I  have 
scarcely  began  to  tell  of  this  world's  fair  at  Vienna. 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  T.  "W".  HOOPER.   125 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Letters  from  Eev.  T.  W.  Hooper,  of  Lynchburg,  Virginia, 
written  for  the  News. 

MUNICH,  July  29,  1873. 

I  WROTE  you  last  at  Lucerne.  While  I  was  writing, 
quite  a  number  of  our  excursionists  had  gone  up 
the  Ehigi  to  see  the  sun  set  and  rise.  Some  fortu- 
nately returned  that  evening,  having  made  the  ascent 
on  that  famous  railroad  where  the  cars  are  moved  by 
a  central  rail  and  cogs.  They  were  delighted  with 
their  experience;  but  those  who  staid  all  night  were 
inclosed  in  a  thunder-storm  before  night,  and  the 
next  morning  came  down  as  wet  and  woe-begone  a 
looking  set  of  sight-seers  as  I  ever  met  with.  The 
view  from  the  mountain,  on  a  clear  day  (which  comes 
once  a  month),  is  said  to  be  magnificent;  but  I  had 
climbed  too  many  mountains  in  my  day  to  pay  seven 
francs  for  a  ride  to  the  top  of  one  that  does  not  com- 
pare with  the  Peaks,  or  Salt  Pond,  for  variety  or 
extent. 

I  should  like  to  have  gone  down  the  lake  of  four 
Cantons,  to  see  the  Chapel  of  William  Tell;  but 
there  has  been  some  question  of  late  as  to  whether 
this  whole  story  of  Tell  and  the  apple  is  not  a  myth 
from  the  poetic  brain  of  Schiller,  and  as  they  do  not 
stop  the  boat  long  enough  to  see  the  bow  and  arrow, 
I  contented  myself  with  a  splendid  bath  in  the 
classic  waters  of  the  lake,  and  a  sound  sleep  to  the 
rippling  music  of  its  rushing  outlet,  which  here  forms 
the  river  Bouss. 


126          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

That  night,  too,  we  had  a  pleasant  chat  and  com- 
parison of  notes  with  Dr.  Witherspoon,  who  was  on 
his  way,  via  St.  Bernard,  Mt.  Blanc,  and  Chamounix, 
to  Geneva,  where  he  expected  to  rejoin  his  "Sec- 
tion," on  their  return  from  Italy,  where  they  are 
scorching  at  this  time.  I  never  saw  any  one  im- 
prove as  he  has  done  since  he  heard  that  he  was  not 
elected  professor  at  the  University  of  Virginia,  and 
can  now  accept  the  charge  of  the  Tabb- street 
Church,  in  Petersburg.  I  am  sorry  for  the  Uni- 
versity, but  glad  for  him  and  for  the  Cockade  City. 

The  next  morning,  about  11  o'clock,  we  took  the 
cars,  and,  after  a  pleasant  ride  of  two  hours,  found j^ 
ourselves  at  the  quaint  old  town  of  Zurich.  In 
olden  days  this  was  famous  as  the  home  of  Zwingle, 
the  compeer  of  Luther  and  of  Calvin;  and  it  wTas 
interesting  to  see  the  old  cathedral,  where  he  fought 
so  gallantly  the  pretensions  and  follies  of  a  bloated 
and  beastly  hierarchy,  until  it  tottered  and  fell  be- 
fore the  solid  blows  of  Scripture  and  of  logic.  The 
town  is  now  famous  for  the  educational  interests, 
which  make  it  a  kind  of  literary  center  for  Switzer- 
land, and  also  for  its  manufactories  of  machinery 
and  of  silk.  We  saw  some  samples  of  silk  at  sixty 
cents  and  one  dollar  per  yard;  but  there  was  such  a 
diversity  of  opinion  among  uthe  inarms"  as  to  its 
quality,  that  I  would  not  indiflge.  I  did,  however, 
take  a  splendid  boat-ride  on  the  lake,  with  J.  T.  and 
another  young  man  as  oarsmen,  while  I  handled  the 
ropes  and  steered.  That  night,  too,  we  had  some 
fine  music  in  a  beer-garden  on  the  lake,  from  about 
thirty  performers,  with  all  kinds  of  instruments. 
The  admission  fee  was  twenty  cents,  and  the  music 
superior  to  one  of  our  first-class  concerts. 

The  next  morning  we  took  the  cars  again,  and  in 
two  or  three  hours  reached  Schaffhausen,  and  put 
up  at  the  magnificent  SwitserhofF,  on  a  lofty  em- 
inence overlooking  the  famous  Falls  of  the  Rhine, 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.        127 

and  in  full  view  of  the  Black  Forest.  I  walked  that 
evening  near  its  dark  shadows,  while  the  roar  of  the 
adjacent  cataract  sounded  like  distant  thunder  — 
until  I  got  the  blues,  and  was  deathly  homesick. 

The  next  morning  we  left  this  miniature  Niagara, 
with  all  its  sylvan  beauties  of  park  and  flowers,  and 
its  grand  old  castle  on  the  hill,  railroad-bridge  of 
stone,  and  small  antiquated  town  in  the  distance, 
and  at  12  o'clock  we  reached  Bomanshorn,  where  we 
took  the  steamer  on  Lake  Constance,  and  marched 
at  once  to  our  dinner-table,  where  we  eat  most 
heartily  of  our  Frenchy  viands  on  deck,  and  watched 
the  spires  of  Constance,  where  the  Catholics  held, 
in  the  dark  days  of  their  power,  that  remarkable 
Council  which  deposed  three  Popes,  and  elected 
another,  and  burned  John  Huss,  who  had  more  re- 
ligion than  all  the  Council  put  together.  Talk  about 
Servetus  and  Calvin  !  Well,  I  am  not  on  a  sermon, 
and  will  only  say,  if  you  want  to  be  confirmed  in 
Protestantism,  just  come  over  here;  revive  the 
struggles  of  the  great  Reformers,  and  look  upon 
the  miserable  mummery  and  degraded  ignorance  of 
those  who  are  still  tortured  with  this  spiritual  rack, 
that  lacerates  and  murders  the  soul. 

That  night  we  reached  Munich  in  safety,  after  a 
long,  hot  ride  on  the  cars,  from  Lindeau,  and  were 
pleasantly  quartered  at  the  Belle  Yue  Hotel.  As  to 
Sunday,  the  less  said  about  that  in  a  secular  paper 
the  better.  I  can  only  say  I  hope  I  shall  never  be 
compelled  to  spend  such  another. 

Monday  we  visited  the  most  remarkable  paintings 
in  existence.  They  are  the  choicest  originals  of 
Raphael,  Rubens,  Titian,  and  Vandyke.  I  had  no 
conception  what  sermons  could  be  preached  from 
canvas.  "The  Perdition  of  Lost  Souls."  and  "The 
Last  Judgment,"  are  two  of  the  masterpieces  of 
Rubens,  and  are  the  strongest  appeals  to  religious 
passion  that  ever  entered  the  brain  of  an  artist. 


128          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

There  were  hundreds  there,  which  would  demand 
hours  of  study,  and  give  months  of  exquisite  pleas- 
ure; but  these  two  struck  my  fancy  and  riveted  my 
gaze,  as  no  other  paintings  have  ever  done,  before 
or  since.  I  should  like  to  visit  them"  a*gain;  but 
time  is  precious  with  us,  and  we  scarcely  had  time 
to  see  through  the  Glyptoths,  and  look  at  the  statues, 
ancient  and  modern,  when  the  closing  hour  arrived. 

We  then  strolled  around  to  the  palaces,  oM  and 
new;  admired  the  bronze  statues  in  the  street?;  saw 
the  house  of  Mozart,  etc.,  etc.,  and  that  evening  we 
took  a  ride,  first  to  the  Statue  of  Bavaria.  This 
is  the  largest  bronze  cast  in  the-  world,  and  is  com- 
posed of  cannon  captured  in  their  various  wars.  It 
is  sixty-nine  feet  high  above  the  pedestal,  and  is  in 
the  form  of  a  colossal  woman,  in  the  head  of  which 
six  of  our  party  sat  down  without  crowding.  "  How 
is  that  for  high?"  was  the  spontaneous  exclamation 
of  more  than  one  beholder.  We  then  took  a  drive 
through  the  city  to  the  English  Garden,  which  seems 
to  be  a  kind  of  royal  park,  with  fine  old  trees,  and 
about  ftie  center  of  it  is  "Iser  rolling  rapidly."  But 
we  rolled  more  rapidly  than  Iser  on  our  return;  for 
a  sudden  storm  had  struck  us,  driving  the  sand  into 
our  eyes,  and  nearly  upsetting  our  carriage,  and  we 
just  had  time  to  reach  the  hotel,  when  a  fearful 
thunder-storm,  with  torrents  of  rain,  came  crashing 
and  pouring  all  around  us. 

We  leave  here  for  Vienna,  where  I  will  write 
again. 

i  _________ 

VIENNA,  July  31,  1873. 

I  thought  we  had  seen  some  noisy  places  in  the 
course  of  our  travels,  but  this  certainly  "removes 
the  dilapidated  linen  from  the  diminutive  tree,"  as 
they  used  to  say  when  I  was  a  boy.  I  went  to  bed 
at  9  o'clock  last- night,  thoroughly  jaded,  and  was 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  T.  "W.  HOOPER.        129 

aroused  half  a  dozen  times  by  the  racket  of  wheels 
below  me.  I  supposed  at  first  it  was  the  breaking 
up  of  some  entertainment;  but  if  so,  they  must 
have  kept  some  of  them  going  all  night.  We  are 
most  delightfully  located,  in  a  splendidly-furnished 
room  on  the  fourth  floor  of  the  Hotel  de  France, 
and  from  my  window  I  have  been  looking  down 
upon  the  street  called  Maria  Theresa.  I  have  seen 
the  oddest  mixture  of  sights  that  were  ever  accumu- 
lated in  the  same  space.  I  saw  them  relieving  the 
guard  with  a  whole  brigade  of  infantry,  with  blue 
pants  and  white  coats.  They  marched  in  perfect 
order,  and,  having  no  guns,  they  kept  time  with  the 
arms  as  well  as  feet,  the  right  arm  swinging  time 
with  the  left  foot.  I  have  also  seen  lots  of  women 
pulling  their  little  wagons  to  market — a  woman  on 
one  side  the  pole  and  a  dog  on  the  other,  and  no 
child's  play  for  either.  In  Glasgow  I  saw  three 
horses  hitched  abreast  to  their  omnibuses,  which  will 
carry  as  many  on  the  outside  as  within — the  center 
horse  in  shafts.  Here,  in  Munich,  I  see  one  horse 
hitched  to  a  wagon  with  a  pole  instead  of  shafts.  In 
Scotland  I  also  noticed  that  the  plows  are  made 
of  iron,  in  all  their  parts — handles,  beam,  and  mold- 
board —  but  here  they  are  made  of  wood,  pointed 
with  iron,  and  are  hitched  on  to  a  two-wheeled  ve- 
hicle. But,  everywhere  on  the  Continent,  the  men 
seem  to  do  the  talking,  and  the  women  do  the  work. 
Sometimes,  in  cutting  hay,  a  woman  will  lead  the 
row.  They  wear  very  short  blue  cotton  dresses,  of 
scant  pattern ;  but  little  girls  are  bundled  up  with 
dresses  that  nearly  touch  the  ground.  "We  found 
them  in  the  midst  of  the  wheat-harvest  in  Bavaria 
and  Austria,  and  the  crop  is  a  splendid  one;  but  I 
have  neither  seen  a  "reaper"  nor  an  old-fashioned 
cradle.  They  prepare  the  bands  before  leaving  the 
house,  and  one  of  our  hands  will  bind  as  much  as 
three  of  theirs,  while  one  of  McCormick's  reapers 
6* 


130          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 

would  in  one  day  cut  down  all  that  grows  on  a  dozen 
of  their  farms.  But  still  the  people  manage  to  live, 
and  look  as  brown  and  hardy  as  pine-knots.  If  they 
would  just  get  an  education  and  speak  English,  I 
would  like  to  talk  to  some  of  them;  but  I  will  not 
degrade  my  mother-tongue  by  learning  their  Dutch 
lingo. 

Vienna  is  a  beautiful  city,  and  comes  nearer  to 
Paris  in  the  way  of  boul  vards  and  buildings  than 
any  city  we  have  seen.  From  the  number  and  mag- 
nificence of  its  churches,  it  would  seem  that  piety 
ought  to  be  prevalent;  but  I  am  afraid  the  whole 
virtue  of  the  place  might  be  compressed  into  Buz- 
zard's Roost,  and  still  leave  Brother  H..a  congre- 
gation at  Sandy  Hook  that  needed  the  gospel.  But 
priests  are  plentiful,  and  so  is  money — such  as  they 
use,  for  it  takes  one  hundred  kreutzers  to  make  fifty 
cents  —  and  some  people  expect  to  get  prayed  to 
heaven  in  Latin  for  a  small  amount  of  mone}7.  Yes- 
terday we  spent  at  the  Exposition,  and,  as  one  of 
the  party  said,  "it  is  no  slouch  of  a  show."  Indeed, 
it  is  one  of  the  grandest  exhibitions  that  was  ever 
seen,  and  I  might  as  well  attempt  to  paint  a  Lynch- 
burg  sunset  as  to  try  to  picture  it.  I  suppose  you 
could  easily  put  all  our  churches  in  the  central 
dome,  with  the  Court-house  on  top,  and  then  crowd 
around  them  all  the  goods  sold  in  our  goodly  city 
for  the  last  five  years,  and  there  would  still  be  room 
for  the  ancient  Market-house,  Green's  oyster  saloon, 
Fort  Snacks,  and  Mr.  Phat-man  as  salesman.  In 
some  of  the  little  transepts  to  the  side  I  saw  carpets 
enough  to  make  Bridge  street  smooth  enough  for  a 
carriage  to  run  on,  and  in  others  silks  enough  to 
keep  all  of  Guggenheimer's  clerks  busy  measuring 
for  a  whole  week,  even  without,  talking.  In  others 
I  saw  sole-leather  enough  to  stock  Seabury's  and 
De  Witt's  until  their  great-grandchildren  are  as  old 
as  Mr.  Washington  was  when  George  cut  the  apple- 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  "W.  HOOPER.        131 

tree.  In  others  there  was  perfumery  enough  to  scent 
the  Market  street,  and  make  it  smell  like  Latham's 
drug  store,  and  in  others  glass-ware  enough  to  stock 
Kinnier's  and  Boyd's,  if  they  were  to  extend  their 
stores  beyond  the  Watering  Branch. 

In  the  mechanical  department  I  saw  machines 
from  all  parts  of  the  world,  and  for  every  conceiva- 
ble purpose.  I  think,  there  must  be  locomotives 
enough  on  hand  to  stock  the  great  A.,  M.  &  O.  R. 
R.,  or  that  other  road  that  passes  through — with  a 
name  too  long  for  this  paper  to  hold.  There  are 
also  water-wheels,  printing-presses,  pumps,  spinning 
and  weaving-machines — all  at  work,  and  producing 
a  clatter  equal  to  a  big  break  at  Friend's  warehouse, 
with  an  organ  and  monkey  attachment  on  the  out- 
side, at  dinner-time. 

As  to  the  crowds  that  assemble  there — just  put  the 
Tower  of  Babel  and  Pentecost  together,  and  you 
may  form  some  conception  of  the  confusion  of 
tongue,  and  of  nationalities,  too,  that  is  collected  in 
that  wonderful  place.  "All  the  world  and  his  wife," 
say  some,  are  to  be  found  there;  but  I  did  not  find 
them.  I  looked  for  the  agent  of  the  "Occidental," 
and  "Lone  Jack,"  and  "Old  Sledge;"  but  while  the 
tobacco  is  all  there,  looking  as  bright  and  as  yellow 
as  it  does  at  home,  there  was  no  agent  to  be  found, 
and  so  I  shall  have  to  put  up  with  the  stumps  of  old 
cigars  cut  up  into  smoking-tobacco.  I  might  smoke 
cigars,  for  they  are  remarkably  cheap  and  good ;  but 
I  want  a  meerschaum  pipe,  and  want  to  color  it  on 
the  way  back  home,  and  I  want  to  color  it  with 
nothing  less  than  Lynchburg  smoking-tobacco;  for, 
say  what  you  will,  we  can  beat  the  world  on  that,  as 
this  Exposition  will  decide. 

I  have  had  many  things  to  remind  me  of  home; 
but  these  brands  of  tobacco  seemed  to  bring  back 
the  dear  old  city  more  strikingly  than  any  thing 
else.  I  had  parted  from  Tanner  on  going  out,  and 


132         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

as  soon  as  I  met  him,  he  excitedly  asked :  "Did  you 
see  the  Lone  Jack?"  "Yes,"  said  I,  "and  the  Oc- 
cidental." Another  word,  say  "Highlander,"  and 
we  would  both  of  us  have  burst  into  t|ars,  as  those 
Norfolk  refugees  did  during  the  war  in  Liberty. 
They  met  unexpectedly  at  court,  and  began  to  talk 
about  home.  One  mentioned  "soft  crabs,"  and  the 
other  "oysters,"  one  "hog-fish,"  and  the  other 
"spots;"  and  so  they  went  on,  until  the  memories  of 
the  good  old  epicurean  days  were  too  much  for  them, 
and  they  sat  and  wept  in  silent  sorrow  over  the 
"joys  they  had  tasted."  Jack  and  I  only  escaped  a 
similar  fate  by  dropping  the  subject. 

I  have  gotten  to  be  a  real  "  Old  Mortality  "  since  I 
came  to  this  Old  World,  and  to-day  I  went  to  visit 
the  graves  of  Maria  Theresa,  Joseph,  and  others, 
who  have  given  name  to  and  made  the  history  of 
Austria.  The  fact  is,  that  with  the  exception  of 
Queen  Victoria,  the  great  of  these  famous  countries 
are  in  the  dust,  and  you  must  go  to  the  tomb  if  you 
would  derive  that  inspiration  which  travel  is  ex- 
pected to  impart.  We  find  here  no  Napoleon  nor 
Wellington,  no  Frederick  nor  Ludwig,  to  occupy  the 
places  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  those  whose 
names  are  so  familiar  to  us  in  America.  "Peace 
hath  her  victories,"  etc.;  but  when  we  come  all  the 
way  to  Europe  to  see  strange  things,  we  are  not  in- 
terested so  much  in  these  peaceful  scenes,  but  want 
to  look  upon  the  emblems  of  valor  and  the  trophies 
of  victory  that  have  made  history  readable,  and  he- 
roes familiar  to  our  memories.  It  may  be  one  more 
evidence  of  the  depravity  of  human  nature,  but  it 
is  none  the  less  true,  that  we  look  with  more  pleasure 
upon  a  battle-field  than  upon  a  harvest — with  more 
interest  upon  some  old  castle,  where  thousands  have 
been  slain,  than  upon  a  modern  palace  or  chateau, 
where  a  noble  family  now  live  in  peace  and  plenty. 

We  are  all  the  time  looking  for  celebrities,  and, 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.        133 

like  the  Floyd  man  who  would  n't  eat  buckwheat- 
cakes  in  Christiansburg  because  he  had  "enough 
of  them  victuals  at  home,"  so  we  will  not  deign  to 
look  upon  the  most  beautiful  valleys,  or  most  tow- 
ering mountain,  because  we  have  all  that  in  America, 
and  came  here  to  see  something  that  we  do  n't  have 
there. 

By  the  way,  I  have  been  disappointed  in  these 
rivers.  "The  beautiful  blue  Danube  "  is  as  muddy 
as  "Blackwater,"  only  the  mud  is  whitish,  and  "Iser 
rolling  rapidly"  will  not  compare  with  James  River 
at  Balcony  Falls,  while  "New  River"  has  more  ro- 
mantic scenery  than  the  Tweed,  and  York  River  is 
more  beautiful  than  the  Thames. 

But  I  must  close.  Several  Englishmen  have  been 
imprisoned  for  making  slighting  and  invidious  com- 
parisons, and  somebody  might  get  hold  of  this  and 
report  me. 


MAYENCE,  August  4,  1873. 

"Westward  the  star  of  Empire  takes  its  way," 
and  I  am  happy  to  say  that  this  is  the  star  by  which 
my  course  is  directed.  Yes,  "  We're  on  our  journey 
home;"  "Home  Again,"  "Home,  Sweet  Home," 
and  every  other  song  that  has  "home"  in  it,  has 
been  ringing  in  my  ears  with  a  merry  chime  ever 
since  I  left  Vienna.  Seeing  sights  in  a  foreign  land 
is  pleasant  to  read  about,  and  a  pleasant  pastime 
for  a  season,  but  a  man  gets  tired  of  it,  and  it  cer- 
tainly would  take  a  first-class  sensation  to  disturb 
my  equanimity  after  all  that  I  have  seen.  Miles  of 
pictures,  and  whole  acres  of  statues,  together  with 
innumerable  cemeteries  and  vaults  where  earth's 
greatest  heroes  are  "resting  in  royalty,"  as  Dr.  Ar- 
mistead  used  to  say  about  Dives,  are  enough  to  be 
compressed  into  one  or  two  months,  in  the  way  of 
art.  And  as  to  nature,  we  have  seen  "Loughs," 


134         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

in  Ireland,  "Locks,"  in  Scotland,  and  "Lacs,"  in 
Switzerland,  which  have  inspired  such  men  as 
Moore,  and  Scott,  and  Byron,  an^j  Rousseau,  and 
Schiller,  and  the  mountains  we  have  climbed  are 
associated  with  the  names  of  Cromwell  and  Rich- 
ard, Hannibal  and  Cesar,  Charlemagne  and  Bona- 
parte. 

As  to  palaces,  we  have  walked  in  the  gilded  hall 
where  roamed  such  characters  as  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots,  Douglas,  Richard,  and  Elizabeth.  We  have 
seen  the  beds  of  the  First  and  Third  Napoleon,  as 
well  as  those  of  Queen  Mary  and  Maria  Theresa; 
have  trod  on  Mosaic  pavement,  and  walked  through 
marble  halls  that  once  echoed  with  whispers  of 
intrigue  that  have  set  all  Europe  on  fire  with  the 
torch  of  war,  or  that  have  echoed  the  footsteps  of 
the  dancing  nobility,  where  each  beau  was  a  hero, 
and  each  belle  a  heroine  that  was  worthy  a  volume 
to  portray  their  charms,  or  to  commemorate  their 
deeds  of  glory. 

I  read  that  page  of  bombast  to  the  Doctor,  who  had 
just  waked  up,  and  his  only  remark  was:  "Halloo, 
I  didn't  know  we  had  done  all  that,"  and  as  you 
may  have  some  other  readers  who  can't  appreciate 
such  a  style,  I  will  get  down  from  my  stilts,  and  as 
I  am  approaching  the  land  of  Froissart,  give  you 
the  styles  of  his  "chronicles." 

I  wrote  you  last  from  Vienna.  That  day  we  went 
out  to  Schoribrunn  Palace,  memorable  as  the  sum- 
mer-residence of  Austrian  emperors.  It  is  a  quaint 
old  palace,  that  reminded  me  of  the  old  "armory" 
in  Richmond,  only  indefinitely  extended,  and  with 
wings  to  the  front  at  each  end  of  the  main  building. 
But  it  is  of  a  whitish-yellow  color,  and  it  is  too  flat 
and  squatty  for  good  architecture.  "We  could  not 
gain  admittance,  however,  to  the  palace,  and  con- 
tented ourselves  with  a  walk  through  its  beautiful 
gardens  and  parks,  associated  as  they  were,  in  my 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.        135 

mind,  at  least,  with  "Joseph  II.  and  his  court,"  by 
Muhlbach :  the  whole  scene  was  alive  with  memo- 
ries of  Theresa,  and  their  numerous  offspring,  so 
many  of  whom  she  would  like  to  have  buried  in 
their  childhood,  could  she  have  foreseen  the  years 
of  sorrow  and  agony  to  which  her  ambitious  intrigues 
were  consigning  them.  Here,  too,  God  put  an  end 
to  that  poor  prince  for  whom  Napoleon  sacrificed 
his  honor  and  his  love  for  Josephine.  Yes,  it  was 
in  that  very  house  that  the  poor  fellow  died,  in  the 
bed  that  his  father  had  occupied  before  him,  and  he 
is  now  buried  in  the  same  vault  with  Francis, 
Joseph,  Maria,  etc.,  whose  names,  a  capuchjn  monk, 
with  the  garb  of  the  grave  and  the  face  of  a  Bacchus, 
repeated  in  Dutch,  while  we  read  them  in  Latin 
upon  the  coffins. 

We  strolled  on  through  the  grounds  where  trees 
are  trimmed  so  smoothly  that  they  look  like  a  brick 
wall  overgrown  with  ivy,  climbed  through  a  tangled 
pathwray,  instead  of  the  sunny  walk  around  the 
fountain  of  Neptune  to  the  "glariat."  This  is  a  beau- 
tiful specimen  of  architecture,  and  a  fine  place  for 
an  emperor,  or  a  poor  preacher,  to  air  himself,  and 
enjoy  the  picturesque  scenery  which  God  has  fur- 
nished in  profusion  for  the  poor  and  the  rich  alike. 
We  sat  there  in  its  cool  shade,  and  pleasant  breeze, 
dreaming  of  the  past,  and  thought  we  could  see 
"Ichabod"  written  under  the  names  of  Maria  and 
Joseph,  while  a  voice  from  Solomon  seemed  to 
whisper  in  the  breeze :  "  Vanity  of  vanities,  all  is 
vanity." 

But  leaving  these  monuments  of  departed  glory  we 
descended  to  the  right  of  the  main  avenue,  when,  just 
as  the  guide-book  says,  we  came  to  an  old  Roman 
ruin,  unmistakably  ancient,  anfl  with  the  figures  of 
the  "fasces,"  and  other  emblems  that  mark  it  as 
genuine.  We  first  took  a  drink  at  its  crystal  (?)  foun- 
tain, which  the  Doctor  thought  might  proceed  from  a 


136          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

bathing-house  we  had  just  passed,  and  where  we 
thought  of  taking  a  bath  in  mwiiory  of  Francis  and 
Theresa,  and  then  we  sat  down  and  dreamed  of 
Cesar  and  his  cohorts,  and  what  a  pity  it  was  that 
poor  little  Marie  Antoinette  had  not  fallen  in  that 
pool  where  that  tadpole  is  wriggling,  instead  of 
waiting  until  she  was  old  enough  to  amuse  herself 
building  the  little  Trianon  at  Versailles,  and  then 
amuse  the  volatile  French  by  losing  her  head  on  the 
guillotine  at  the  spot  now  marked  by  the  "Place  de 
Concord." 

I  was  thus  musing  upon  the  past,  having  put  a 
few  remnants  of  brick  and  marble  in  my  pocket, 
for  a  young  friend  who  is  fond  of  such  things,  when 
I  heard  the  Doctor  pecking  away  at  an  arch  of  the  old 
ruin,  and  had  scarcely  had  time  to  warn  him  against 
the  profanation  when  a  female  employee  darted  out 
from  behind  the  wall,  and  put  out  in  a  run  toward 
the  palace.  We  both  concluded  that  we  had  seen 
enough  of  that  ruin,  and  as  the  sun  was  still  warm, 
we  preferred  the  aforesaid  shade  by-path,  the 
crookeder  the  better.  Then  we  concluded  we  had 
rocks  and  marble  enough  without  these  we  had  just 
collected,  and  threw  them  away  in  the  bushes,  and 
after  much  winding  about,  and  not  much  leisure, 
we  walked  out  boldly  into  the  avenue,  through  the 
lines  of  the  sentinels,  and  never  breathed  freely 
until  we  had  taken  a  street-car  and  mixed  up  with 
the  crowd  at  the  Exposition.  Catch  me  gathering 
mementoes  from  old  ruins  hereafter!  Not  that  the 
woman  meant  to  report  us,  or  that  we  were  arrested 
and  imprisoned,  but  all  that  rushed  through  our 
minds,  with  a  probable  war  between  the  United 
States  and  Austria  to  deliver  two  of  its  loyal  citi- 
zens from  some  damp  and  dismal  dungeon,  where 
they  had  been  imprisoned  for  stealing  rocks  from  a 
Roman  ruin.  For  my  part  they  may  crumble  away 
to  the  dust,  with  the  old  chaps  who  erected  them, 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  T.  "W".  HOOPER.        137 

or  with  those  who  once  enjoyed  them,  and  after 
that  scare,  if  I  secure  any  relics  I  will  buy  them 
from  the  priests  in  the  sanctuary,  and  thus  know 
that  they  are  genuine.  But  I  must  close  now,  as  it 
is  most  time  for  breakfast,  and  we  leave  for  a  ride 
down  the  Rhine  on  a  steamer  to  Cologne.  This 
will  be  a  most  delightful  change,  after  six  hundred 
miles  on  the  cars,  from  Vienna  to  this  place,  which 
we  made  in  two  nights,  spending  the  intervening 
day  at  Munich. 

We  heard  on  yesterday  that  Mr.  Spurgeon  is  to 
preach  for  our  especial  benefit  next  Sunday  evening 
at  the  Tabernacle,  in  London.  A  real  gospel-ser- 
mon will  be  to  me  now  as  "honey  from  the  rock," 
or  "Horeb  to  Israel." 

BRUSSELS,  August  7,  1873. 

I  wrote  you  last  from  Mayence,  from  which  point 
we  took  the  steamer  down  the  Rhine  to  Cologne. 
It  was  a  splendid  journey  of  six  hours,  over  the 
finest  scenery  of  the  Rhine  district,  and  is  the  only 
portion,  I  believe,  that  is  covered  by  the  famous  en- 
gravings called  "Panorama  of  the  Rhine."  In 
some  places  the  hills  on  shore  are  almost  bare  of 
verdure,  but  generally  they  are  green  with  grape- 
vines, which  are  so  closely  trimmed,  that  trained  as 
they  are  to  a  single  stick,  they  look  at  a  distance 
like  a  corn-field  when  the  corn  is  just  in  silk.  But 
along  each  bank,  and  at  a  distance  of  from  half  a 
mile  to  two  miles,  were  the  old  Roman  castles  that 
make  this  country  so  famous  to  tourists,  and  that 
add  historic  interest  to  the  scene.  Around  these 
cling  the  legends  of  childhood,  and  some  of  them 
Btill  bear  the  marks  of  recent  wars  of  Napoleon  and 
his  successors. 

Arriving  at  Cologne  about  6  P.M.,  we  crossed  the 
river  on  a  pontoon  bridge  to  the  beautiful  Hotel 


138          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Belle  Vue,  which  contains  a  .splendid  view  of  the 
city  opposite,  as  well  as  of  the  Rhine,  and  has  a 
beautiful  garden  in  the  rear  adorned  with  flowers, 
shade-trees,  and  tables  where  beer-drinkers  and 
wine-bibbers  spend  their  evenings.  We  soon  found 
that  there  was  a  "fete-day"  on  hand,  and  pushed 
our  way  through  the  crowd  to  a  place  where  "Don- 
nybrook  Fair"  must  have  been  assembled,  and 
where  the  whole  of  Cologne,  without  the  "eau  de," 
had  collected  to  witness  it.  For  about  half  a  mile, 
on  each  side  of  a  narrow  street,  were  cake  and  beer 
stalls,  and  I  am  sure  they  had  gingerbread  enough 
to  supply  all  our  Sunday-schools  with  picnics  for 
the  next  ten  years.  Then  we  came  to  side-shows, 
theaters,  Punch  and  Judy,  riding-rings,  monstrosi- 
ties, jugglers,  circuses,  etc.,  until  at  last  we  had 
worked  our  way  down  to  the  main  show,  which 
was  a  "shooting-match"  at  targets.  We  watched 
them  for  some  time,  and  saw  some  of  the  finest 
rifle-shooting  that  I  have  seen  since  the  days  of 
squirrel  hunting  in  Bedford.  That  night  I  had  to 
close  my  windows  to  shut  out  the  discordant  sounds 
of  a  Dutch  concert,  which  may  have  been  kept  up 
all  night  for  what  I  know,  at  a  neighboring  beer- 
garden.  The  next  morning  we  were  aroused  pretty 
early  by  the  rattling  of  carts  and  carriages,  and  as 
we  do  not  breakfast  before  eight  or  nine  o'clock,  we 
concluded  to  "do"  Cologne  before  that  time. 

We  have  acquired  such  a  facility  in  that  line  that 
an  ordinary  city  of  fifty  thousand  inhabitants  will 
require  half  a  day — larger  ones  in  proportion. 
Crossing  the  pontoon  bridge,  we  purchased  a  bottle 
of  the  genuine  cologne  from  the  manufacturers, 
and  thus  armed  proceeded  to  march  bomb-proof 
amid  the  ten  thousand  historic  scents  of  this  dirty 
place.  But  it  may  have  been  due  to  the  fact  that  I 
came  from  Lynchburg,  and  hence  was  not  pecu- 
liarly struck  with  the  filth,  and  had  I  not  seen  Paris 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.         139 

and  London,  might  have  regarded  this  as  a  model 
of  neatness  and  sweet  smells. 

We  went  through  the  magnificent  Cathedral  at 
early  mass,  listened  awhile  to  tolerably  good  music, 
while  we  eyed  the  architecture  and  paintings,  and 
then  went  on  down  to  the  Church  of  St.  Ursula. 
This  church  was  intended  to  commemorate  the 
chastity  of  Ursula  and  her  virgins — eleven  thous- 
and— who,  instead  of  marrying,  as  the  Bible  com- 
mands, went  into  a  convent.  Not  satisfied  here,  as 
no  woman  is,  they  went  off  on  a  long  tramp  to 
Rome  to  see  what  the  chances  were  for  a  happy 
marriage  among  the  priests.  They  found  them  a 
jolly  set  of  fellows,  but  more  inclined  to  wine  than 
to  marriage.  So  after  this  hopeless  attempt  at  mat- 
rimony, like  our  schoolmarms,  they  determined  to 
go  back  "to  him  and  try  their  luck  in  the  old 
country  again."  But  while  they  were  sorrowfully 
wending  their  way,  downcast  and  melancholy,  a  lot 
of  free-lovers  from  the  North  came  upon  them,  and 
they  had  a  big  fight,  in  which,  they  say,  all  the  wo- 
men got  killed,  and  now  their  skulls  and  bones  are 
stuck  around  the  walls  of  this  church  in  a  kind  of 
iron  net-work.  We  went  in  and  gazed  upon  the 
bones,  while  the  little  children  sang  most  beautiful 
chants  to  the  music  of  a  splendid  organ,  and  the 
image  of  the  chaste  uold  maid,"  St.  "Ursula,  looked 
down  complacently  upon  them,  and  a  venerable 
priest  drank  the  wine  at  the  altar  instead  of  giving 
it  to  their  parents. 

Well,  we  left  St.  Ursula  without  even  a  bow  of 
recognition  for  fear  of  mistake,  and  wended  our 
way  across  the  splendid  railroad  bridge,  which  is 
guarded  at  each  end  by  a  fine-looking  old  gentleman 
in  bronze  riding  General  Washington's  horse,  as  it 
appears  on  the  monument  in  Richmond,  only  the  head 
is  turned  the  wrong  way,  which  may  be  due  to  sea- 
sickness while  crossing  the  Atlantic. 


140          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

I  am  not  joking  about  thaf  horse.  We  did  not 
go  to  the  bronze  foundry  in  Munich,  where  we 
might  have  seen  all  their  models,  but  it  is  evident 
that  he  has  a  model  of  a  horse  which  he  mounts 
with  "Washington,  Leopold,  Napoleon,  or  whatever 
hero  may  be  needed,  and  as  horses  do  not  differ  as 
much  as  men,  the  world  is  none  the  wiser  for  this 
"trick  in  trade." 

That  morning  we  took  the  train  at  11:40  for  this 
place,  to  which  we  had  a  fine  journey  through  a 
splendid  section,  where  men,  women,  children,  and 
dogs,  were  all  engaged  in  gathering  in  the  harvest. 
Belgium,  so  far,  is  the  finest  agricultural  region  we 
have  passed  through  on  the  Continent,  and  there 
seems  to  be  a  better  system  of  agriculture,  as  well 
as  larger  farms  and  finer  houses.  The  people  all 
speak  French,  which  sounds  more  familiar  to  us 
than  German,  and  the  money  is  decidedly  more 
easily  calculated.  It  takes  one  hundred  centimes 
to  make  a  franc,  and  a  franc  is  worth  twenty  cents. 
So,  in  this  way,  a  man  who  is  at  all  acquainted  with 
Pike  "can  easily  compute  the  cost  of  lace,"  etc. 

Yesterday  we  went  around  by  the  Cathedral, 
Palace,  Royal  Park,  etc.,  to  the  Zoological  Gardens. 
Here  we  spent  two  or  three  hours  most  pleasantly 
in  watching  the  animals,  birds,  fish,  and  plants,  for 
it  is  a  general  combination  of  all  in  one  inclosure, 
about  half  a  mile  square.  We  saw  all  kinds  of 
dogs,  from  a  bench-leg  fice  to  a  St.  Bernard ;  ani- 
mals from  a  guinea-pig  to  an  elephant;  birds  from 
a  wren  to  the  North  American  eagle.  There  was  a 
splendid  collection  of  birds  of  the  most  gorgeous 
colors,  enough  to  keep  all  the  gravel-shooters  in 
Lynchburg  busy  during  a  whole  vacation.  Here, 
too,  we  saw  one  of  Mark  Twain's  pilgrims,  a  kind 
of  crane,  who  has  a  curious  fancy  for  standing  on 
one  of  his  spindling  legs,  which  is  about  the  size  of 
a  drum-stick,  and  about  two  feet  long.  We  also 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  "W".  HOOPER.        141 

saw  a  splendid  specimen  of  the  ostrich,  whose  tails 
were  gone,  and  as  many  old  hares  from  India  as 
would  stock  a  pine-forest  in  Amherst. 

After  passing  through  this  and  the  aquarium, 
which  is  formed  out  of  an  artificial  grotto,  and 
where  we  tried  to  stir  up  a  crocodile  which  was 
either  asleep,  or  like  M.  T.'s  mummy — "dead" 
— we  strolled  on  down  the  boulevards,  which  are 
wide,  shady  streets,  built  on  the  foundation  of  the 
old  walls,  into  the  old  city.  Here  we  first  went  into 
a  lace  factory,  where  they  employ  two  thousand 
five  hundred  women.  They  showed  us  the  whole 
process,  which  is  very  simple  to  look  at,  but  rather 
tedious  to  practice  with  a  cambric  needle  by  the 
life-time.  We  made  some  small  purchases,  com- 
mensurate with  our  funds,  which  are  "growing 
small  by  degrees,  and  beautifully  less."  I  could 
have  spent  a  whole  year's  salary  and  put  the  result 
of  it  in  the  pocket-book  out  of  which  the  money 
was  taken  to  pay  for  it,  or  in  my  pocket-book  just 
as  it  is  at  present. 

"We  then  went  on  down  to  look  at  the  local  mon- 
ument, called  the  Menachin  Fountain,  said  to  be 
copied  from  nature,  and  commemorative  of  the 
finding  of  a  little  prince  who  strolled  away  from 
home  and  got  lost,  as  many  other  small  boys  have 
done  before  and  since. 

We  might  spend  weeks  here  looking  at  pictures, 
and  specimens  of  ancient  armor,  etc.,  or  we  might 
go  to  the  battle-field  of  Waterloo,  which  is  twelve 
miles  oif,  but  I  have  seen  paintings  enough  to  last 
me,  and  I  lived  on  a  battle-field  too  long  to  have 
any  special  curiosity  about  that.  Some  of  our  party 
have  gone,  however,  and  some  yesterday  went  into 
ecstasies  over  the  ball-room  where  the  ball  was  held 
the  night  before  the  battle,  and  on  which  was  writ- 
ten, "There  was  a  sound  of  revelry  by  night."  But 
after  they  returned  to  the  guide-books  they  found 


142         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

that  that  particular  ball-roor|  was  torn  down  several 
years  ago,  and  so  all  their  enthusiasm  was  wasted. 
Well,  we  leave  here  in  the  morning  for  Antwerp, 
whence  we  sail  at  4  P.M.  for  London,  where  I  trust 
I  shall  be  able  to  write  to  you  again. 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       143 


CHAPTEE  IX. 

Letters  from  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Whipple,  President  of  Lansing- 
burgh  College,  New  York. 

MUNICH,  July  15,  1873. 

MY  last  letter  closed,  I  think,  with  the  word 
London,  a  place  known  as  a  large  city.  Arriving 
there  at  9  P.M.,  and  leaving  the  next  day  at  3  P.M., 
left  us  only  eighteen  hours  to  eat,  sleep,  and  see 
what  we  could.  Some  three  of  us  went  in  the 
morning  to  see  the  Zoological  Gardens,  containing 
a  large  part  of  all  the  animals  described  in  our  natu- 
ral histories.  They  are  all  in  ample  grounds,  or 
rooms,  well  adapted  to  their  nature.  A  bird-house, 
for  instance,  containing  mostly  Columbce,  or  birds  of 
the  dove  species,  was  about  one  hundred  and  seventy 
feet  long,  forty  wide,  and  in  the  center  fifty  feet 
high,  all  woven  together,  with  meshes  about  an  inch 
square,  or  rather,  diamond-shaped.  Within  were  trees 
of  different  kinds,  climbing  ivy,  and  many  beautiful 
flowers;  and  flying  or  resting  among  these  were  the 
many-colored  birds  of  the  class  above-mentioned, 
and  a  few  other  smaller  ones  of  different  kinds,  that 
would  live  in  harmony.  Probably  the  place  where 
my  young  friends  would  linger  longest  would  be  the 
monkey-house  —  nearly  as  large  as  the  other,  and, 
like  it,  made  of  stouter  wire,  while  outside  was  a 
brick  wall,  and  over  all  a  slated  roof.  Here,  in  the 
wire  house,  were  all  varieties  of  monkeys — not  all 


144          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

in  one  section;  for,  like  men,  some  are  for  quarrel- 
ing, and  some  are  for  peace.  One  could  stand  there 
for  hours,  had  he  the  time,to  see  their  various  ways 
of  spending  their  strength^  All  the  apparatus  of  a 
good  gymnasium  was  theirs,  and  such  agility  as  they 
manifested  was  truly  amusing — swinging  by  hands, 
or  feet,  or  tail;  jumping  from  a  swing  to  bars; 
amusing  themselves  on  ladders,  poles,  and  in  rings; 
chasing  one  another  up  and  around  their  wire-sided 
home;  their  fights — apparent  or  real  fights — their 
laughing  chatter — all  with  their  serious,  sober  faces 
— is  truly  amusing.  There  were  elephants  and  rhi- 
noceros, giraffes  and  hippopotami,  seals  and  other 
amphibians,  and  so  on  and  so  on,  till  our  whole  day 
was  spent.  We  have  several  days  in  London  when 
we  return. 

By  8  o'clock  we  were  crossing  the  German  Ocean. 
"Rocked  in  the  cradle  of  the  deep,"  we  slept,  and 
in  the  morning  were  steaming  up  the  Scheldt,  for 
the  old  Dutch  city  of  Antwerp.  The  sail  up  the 
river  is  not  particularly  interesting;  for  the  country 
is  very  flat,  the  river  banked  on  both  sides  with 
levees,  over  which  we  could  not  see,  save  here  and 
there  the  tops  of  a  few  trees  and  the  spires  of  some 
churches.  Narrower  grows  the  river,  and  by  11 
o'clock  we  make  fast  to  the  pier,  and  go  off  the 
gangway-plank  to  see  and  to  be  seen. 

We  spend  the  rest  of  the  day  in  sight-seeing.  I 
shall  only  try  to  tell  something  of  the  Cathedral  of 
Notre  Dame,  wonderful  not  only  for  its  architectural 
beauty,  but  especially  for  its  many  and  magnificent 
paintings  by  the  celebrated  painter,  Rubens.  "The 
Ascent  of  the  Cross,"  "  The  Descent  from  the  Cross," 
"  The  Crucifixion,"  "  The  Assumption  of  the  Virgin," 
"The  Holy  Mother,"  and  many  more,  on  large  can- 
vas, so  that,  though  sixty  or  one  hundred  feet  above 
us,  they  look  life-like  in  size  and  color.  Here  we 
found  many  artists,  with  easels,  busily  engaged  copy- 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.        145 

ing  these  works  of  the  great  master.  One  we  saw, 
who  has  done  nothing  else  but  copy  these  paintings 
for  the  last  thirty-five  years,  always  finding  ready 
purchasers.  To  appreciate,  one  must  see  them.  One 
thing  which  may  be  interesting  in  this  matter  is 
this:  The  holy  mother,  in  face,  is  the  portrait  of  his 
second  wife,  while  in  another  painting  the  faces  of 
some  of  the  saints  are  his  first  wife  and  relations, 
and  some  of  the  angels  his  own  children;  and  in 
nearly  all  his  paintings  the  portrait  of  himself  ap- 
pears. From  what  I  have  seen  of  his  paintings,  I 
think  I  shall  know  Rubens's  masterpieces  when  I 
see  them.  Many  other  paintings  adorned  the  walls, 
but  his  are  the  glory  of  Notre  Dame. 

We  then  visited  the  silk  works.  All  silk  is  woven 
by  hand,  in  old-fashioned  looms;  and  we  were  told 
that  it  is  so  woven  everywhere  in  the  world. 

Next  day  found  us  in  Brussels.  Cathedrals  seern 
to  be  the  chief  places  to  visit  in  this  country ;  so  we 
march  to  that  of  St.  Gudule — not  so  noted  for  its 
paintings  as  for  some  of  its  architectural  work,  carv- 
ings in  wood,  and  sculptured  stone.  Selecting  one 
thing,  let  me  mention  the  pulpit  of  carved  oak.  Its 
base  represents  Adam  and  Eve  just  after  eating  the 
forbidden  fruit,  with  bowed  heads  and  sorrowful 
faces,  and  Eve  with  the  fruit  still  in  her  hand.  On 
their  shoulders  is  the  pulpit,  and  under  their  feet 
and  around  them  is  the  serpent,  in  many  folds  about 
and  above  the  pulpit;  above  is  a  canopy,  and  on  the 
top  of.  this,  in  horizontal  position,  with  open  mouth 
and  forked  tongue,  is  the  head  of  the  serpent,  and 
above  the  serpent,  with  heel  upon  his  head,  stands 
the  Son  of  man,  crowned  with  radiant  glory.  This 
altogether  forms  the  frame-work,  and  around  and 
ornamenting  the  whole  are  carved  trees  and  branches, 
on  and  among  which  are  various  animals  in  various 
attitudes,  yet  all  with  ears  turned  in  the  direction  of 
the  pulpit,  as  if  to  hear  the  fearful  doom  pronounced 
7 


146          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 

on  all  the  world  for  this  iirst  sin.  Even  a  poor  mon- 
key, with  some  of  the  forbidden  fruit  in  his  hand, 
imitating  Eve,  no  doubtJs  faithfully  represented, 
suggesting,  perhaps,  his  Tall  in  common  with  our 
race.  As  a  specimen  of  carved  work,  it,  in  design 
and  finish,  surpasses  any  thing  I  have  yet  seen.  I 
climbed  to  the  top  of  a  monument,  some  two  hun- 
dred steps,  where  could  be  seen  the  whole  city  as  a 
map,  and  away  northward  the  battle-field  of  Water- 
loo. I  visited  the  Royal  Palace,  Town  Hall,  parks, 
and  Museum,  which  are  all  well  filled  with  works  of 
art — painting  or  sculpture.  Here,  too,  I  found  my 
way  into  the  lace-factories,  and  saw  the  slow  process 
of  making  all  forms  of  lace  "with  needle  and 
thread."  To  see  five  hundred  pins  and  as  many 
threads,  with  little  handles,  stuck  here  and  there, 
and  pulled  this  way  and  that,  all  in  a  space  not  so 
large  as  your  hand,  was  at  least  amusing,  and  some- 
what instructive;  for,  by  inquiring,  I  learned  that 
eighteen  months  are  spent  on  a  good  lace  kerchief 
by  women  working  twelve  and  fourteen  hours  per 
day,  for  twenty  cents,  and,  when  done,  worth  about 
one  hundred  dollars — enough  to  keep  an  ordinary 
nose  clean. 

Next  day  we  arrived  at  Cologne — so-called  from 
a  Eoman  "Colonia."  Here,  too,  cathedrals  gather 
all  the  wealth  and  art  of  the  city.  Amid  much 
sameness  of  purpose,  an  endless  variety  of  means  is 
made  apparent.  The  Cathedral  is  the  one  most 
noteworthy — one  of  the  most  stupendous  specimens 
of  Gothic  architecture  in  the  world,  dizzying  to  the 
mind  in  size  and  details.  It  was  begun  in  1248,  and 
they  hope  to  finish  it  in  a  few  years — the  two  towers 
remaining  unfinished.  Each  tower  will  be  five  hun- 
dred feet  high,  and  this  is  the  length  of  the  building. 
It  has  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  cloisters,  five  hun- 
dred and  seventy-six  windows — many  of  them  very 
large — and  five  hundred  turrets,  or  small  towers.  It 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.        147 

is  magnificent  without  as  well  as  within.  It  has  a 
chapel,  "  Three  Kings  of  Cologne  " — the  three  wise 
men  of  the  east — behind  the  high  altar;  and  the 
wealth  of  a  nation  seems  lavished  on  a  case  said  to 
contain  their  hones.  It  is  also  in  paintings,  but  so 
like  others  that  I  will  not  discuss  them.  You  must 
know  that  it  was  Sunday,  here  a  holiday,  though 
every  church  is  open.  A  procession  of  five  hundred 
children  were  marching  along  the  streets,  strewn 
with  oak-leaves  and  evergreens;  houses  were  adorned 
with  flags,  and  lights  were  burning  before  images 
in  niches  and  windows.  I  believe  the  day  was  St. 
Michael's,  and  all  was  in  honor  of  him.  Following 
along,  we  went  into  different  churches,  all  beautiful, 
and  rich  with  medieval  art.  "We  paused  longest  in 
Ursula,  where  we  saw  the  bones  of  eleven  thousand 
virgins,  or  little  girls,  who  had  been  on  a  pilgrimage 
to  Rome  with  St.  Ursula,  an  English  lady;  on  their 
return  they  were  murdered  by  the  Huns,  and  here, 
in  various  forms,  carved,  ornamented,  and  colored, 
are  kept  these  relics  of  the  past  for  the  curious 
tourist  to  see,  and  devout  Catholics  to  worship.  To 
see  eleven  thousand  skeletons,  each  bone  separated 
from  its  fellow,  and  piled  up  like  so  many  bundles 
of  faggots,  is  what  an  anatomist  would  call  going 
back  to  "first  principles."  "We  found  also  an  Eng- 
lish chapel,  where  we  attended  service,  and  heard  a 
food  story  on  the  sin  of  worshiping.  It  being  a 
oliday.  all  places  of  art  exhibition  and  amusement 
were  open,  and  all  stores  and  street  venders  seemed 
to  be  doing  a  very  thriving  business.  The  many 
oddities  of  dress,  and  other  things,  I  reserve  for  a  let- 
ter by  itself.  Our  hotel  is  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine, 
with  several  terraces,  each  shaded,  and  seated  like 
beer-gardens,  as  they  are,  where  all  day  Sunday  and 
Sunday-night,  thousands  gather  to  eat,  drink,  hear 
the  band  of  music,  and  finally  go  home  after  a  fine  dis- 
play of  fireworks.  Suchhasbeen  a  Sunday  in  Cologne. 


148          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

VIENNA,  July  19,  1873. 

MY  DEAR  READERS: — We  left  Cologne,  the  city 
of  smells,  Monday-morning,  by  rail  for  Bonn,  where 
we  tarried  for  an  hour,  running  through  the  famous 
University,  one  thousand  two  hundred  and  eighty 
feet  long,  with  three  hundred  lecture-rooms  and 
halls,  and  a  library  of  one  hundred  thousand  vol- 
umes. In  the  classical  recitation-room,  covering 
nearly  one  side  of  the  wall,  was  a  painting  by  Ra- 
phael, representing  the  great  scholars  of  the  past — 
Homer,  Plato,  Eschylus,  Euripides,  Socrates,  Dem- 
osthenes, among  the  Greeks;  Virgil,  Cicero,  Cesar, 
Horace,  of  the  Latin  race;  and  of  more  modern 
men,  Dante,  Shakspeare,  and  others;  all  with  some 
symbol  whereby  a  reader  of  their  works  would 
know  them.  Along  the  library  were  busts  of  the 
honored  great,  among  which  the  deformed  ^Esop 
was  worthy  of  notice.  Here,  too,  we  saw  some  of 
the  nondescript  compositions  of  Beethoven,  and  not 
far  thence  we  entered  the  house  where  he  was  said 
to  have  been  burned;  plucking  a  rose-leaf  from  the 
garden,  we  placed  it  between  the  leaves  of  our  note- 
book to  bring  home,  or,  more  likely,  lose  on  the 
way.  For  the  sake  of  seeing  this  place  we  had 
taken  cars  and  so  gained  the  time.  K~ow  our  steam- 
boat, the  Emperor  of  Germany,  came  along,  and 
we  went  on  board  to  spend  the  day  in  steaming  up 
the  Rhine.  Below  Bonn  there  is  not  much  that  is 
worthy  of  notice.  Above,  the  beauty  and  the 
grandeur  begin.  For  awhile  I  try  to  persuade  my- 
self that  the  Hudson  is  equal  in  beauty,  in  palisades, 
in  mountain  scenery,  but  I  am  compelled  to  give 
the  first  prize  to  the  Rhine.  Most  of  the  way  the 
rough,  bold  mounts,  crowd  down  to  the  river  on 
both  sides,  and,  up  the  sides,  where  it  would  seem 
there  is  nothing  but  rocks,  industrious  hands  have 
made  terraces,  and  planted  grape-vines  nearly  to  the 
summit.  One  needs  to  see  them  to  understand  the 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       149 

phrase,  "The  vine-clad  hills."  On  many  of  the 
bold  and  projecting  cliffs  stands  the  remains  of 
castles  built  far  back  in  the  small  centuries. 
Much  of  their  history  is  the  history  of  the  nation, 
now  proud  of  their  ruins.  Under  them,  on  the 
river's  bank,  are  small  villages,  surrounded  by 
the  old  walls  within  which  the  old  castles  stood. 
No  doubt  they  were  thus  placed  to  be  under  the 
protection  of  the  castles,  or  to  flee  into  them  in 
time  of  need;  for  a  castle  is  not  simply  a  large 
house,  or  a  tower,  but  quite  a  village  of  itself,  sur- 
rounding and  occupying  many  acres  of  ground, 
protected  sometimes  by  walls  fourteen  feet  in  thick- 
ness, with  massive  buildings  within  to  contain  vast 
supplies,  for  large  numbers  and  for  a  long  time. 
Under  the  safe-keeping  of  such  defenses,  in  old 
feudal  times,  gathered  the  sparse  population,  and  in 
steaming  up  the  Rhine  we  read  past  history.  So 
numerous  now  are  little  villages  along  the  river 
that  we  are  seldom  out  of  sight  of  one.  The  moun- 
tain scenery,  and  the  cultivation  up  their  steep  sides 
of  the  grape,  gives  constant  exercise  for  eye  and 
imagination.  Where  horses  and  cattle  cannot  get 
to  plow,  women  can,  and  we  thus  learn  that  woman- 
power  is  here  highly  prized,  and  highly  used;  and 
all  alon£  this  valley  they  are  far  above  the  men  in 
the  culture  which  makes  Rhine  wine  so  acceptable 
to  their  loving  husbands.  "We  turn  from  such 
pleasant  reveries,  and  fix  our  eyes  on  Cobleuce — 
Confluenza — situatedatthe  confluence  of  theMoselle 
and  Rhine;  a  large,  walled  city,  back,  and  above  5t, 
one  of  the  castles  like  others,  only  a  living,  or 
occupied  one,  named  Fort  Kaiser  Alexander, 
while  nearly  opposite  is  Ehrenbreistein  castle 
and  fort,  deemed  the  strongest  in  all  the  German 
States. 

We  pass  Schonburg — a  place  frequented  by  Lu- 
ther,  and  easily  recalled  by  the  readers  of  the 


150          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

"Schonburg  Cotta  Family."  Amid  ever-changing 
delights  for  the  eye,  we.,  stop  a  few  moments  at 
"Bingen,  fair  Bingen  onThe  Rhine." 

On  and  on  into  the  darkness,  until  we  enter  May- 
ence,  a  city  founded  thirteen  years  before  the 
Christian  era  began,  and  capital  of  the  Grand  Duchy 
of  Hessia.  The  imposing  pile  of  the  Cathedral, 
founded  in  the  eighth  century,  the  isolated  groups 
of  churches,  the  commanding  aspect  of  the  citadel, 
and  the  far-stretching  girdle  of  massive  fortifications, 
address  themselves  at  once  to  the  eye  and  to  the  im- 
agination. Tired  as  I  am  of  describing  churches, 
I  will  here  say,  it  is  said  no  cathedral  in  Germany 
has  as  many  monuments  and  epitaphs  as  this.  What 
pleased  me  far  more  was  to  find  a  monument  in  the 
public  square  of,  or  to  the  memory  of  Johann  zum 
Gensfleick,  of  Guttenburg,  the  inventor  of  the  art 
of  printing,  in  1450.  His  statue  is  of  bronze,  after 
a  model  by  Thorwalsden,  and  cast  in  Paris.  He  is 
represented  with  some  types — a  b  c — in  his  hand, 
each  separate,  and  therefore  movable.  On  the  pe- 
destal sides  are  different  representations ;  one  setting 
type,  one  a  boy  printing  with  a  screw  press,  and 
another  himself,  in  the  act  of  reading  the  proof- 
sheet,  and  another  an  inscription  in  Latin,  as  follows : 
"An  art  which  neither  the  Greeks  nor  Romans  un- 
derstood the  genius  of  a  German  has  found  out/ 
Now,  whatever  the  ancients  knew,  and  the  moderns 
know,  it  is  not  for  himself,  but  for  all  mankind." 
The  citizens  of  Mayence  erected  this  monument  to 
Guttenburg,  by  money  collected  throughout  Europe, 
in  1837. 

From  Mayence  to  Munich,  so  far  the  finest  Ger- 
man city.  We  visit  the  Glyptothek,  a  large  build- 
ing filled  with  statuary,  mostly  Grecian  and  Roman, 
every  thing  in  the  highest  style  of  art.  To  any  one 
having  read  the  mythologies  of  these  nations  a 
sight  of  all  the  ideal  gods  and  goddesses  is  well  worth 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       151 

the  time  spent  in  looking  at  them,  but  no  verbal 
description  will  make  one  to  fully  appreciate  them. 
We  cross  the  street  to  another  like  building  filled 
with  fine  oil-paintings  of  modern  times.  Here  one 
can  revel  in  all  the  beauties  of  color  and  imagina- 
tion, so  blended  as  to  charm  the  beholder.  A  little 
walk  and  we  enter  another  art-gallery,  containing 
one  thousand  four  hundred  and  twenty-two  paintings. 
We  look  at  some  of  the  finest  in  each  room,  and 
pass  on  satisfied,  and  satiated  with  manifestations 
of  this  pictorial  art.  At  11  o'clock  we  enter  the 
palace  of  the  king,  and  spend  two  hours  in  wander- 
ing through  royal  halls,  and  rooms,  and  gazing  at 
huge  historic  paintings  adorning  the  halls  and  ceil- 
ings of  most  of  the  rooms. 

In  the  royal  dancing-hall  the  paintings  represent 
various  styles  of  dancing  and  of  dress;  and  as  to 
the  latter,  more  of  the  person  than  of  the  dress  ap- 
pears. In  one,  or  rather  two  rooms,  are  thirty-five 
oil-portraits  of  the  handsomest  women  said  to  have 
lived  in  Munich.  They  are  very  fine,  but  we  could 
equal  them  at  home  had  we- equal  artists.  Lola 
Montez  was  one  among  them  formerly,  but  so  much 
has  been  said  to  her  disgrace  that,  despite  the  beauty 
of  her  face,  her  picture  has  been  removed  to  another 
place. 

The  throne-room  was  the  grandest  in  style  and 
finish.  On  each  side  a  row  of  kings,  beginning 
with  the  first  and  ending  with  Charles  XIL,  King  of 
Sweden,  all  of  bronze,  of  more  than  life-like  size, 
and  clothed  in  the  style  of  the  different  ages  in 
which  they  lived — a  kind  of  running  history  of  it- 
self. At  the  end  of  the  room  was  the  throne,  raised 
several  steps  above  the  floor  of  the  hall.  The  talk 
of  the'  Yankee  schoolmasters  has  been  heard  in 
royal  halls,  and  gliding  out  into  the  free  air  we 
sought  and  entered  the  bronze  manufactory  where 
are  made  most  of  the  bronze  statuary  of  the  world. 


152          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Saw  many  models  of  American  works — Washing- 
ton, Clay,  Benton,  Maso^i,  Governor  Andrews  of 
Massachusetts — inprocesis  of  molding  and  casting; 
also  a  soldiers'  monument  for  Worcester,  and  one 
for  Cincinnati,  and  many  of  the  kings,  and  queens, 
and  soldiers,  and  artists,  and  scholars  with  which 
many  cities  of  the  world  are  adorned.  It  is  a  won- 
derful establishment.  Here  was  made  the  largest 
bronze  monument  in  the  world — the  Bavarian  statue. 
It  represents  a  human  sixty-five  feet  in  altitude,  and 
every  way  well  proportioned,  the  hand  six  feet,  and 
the  nose  twenty-three  inches;  yet,  standing  so 
high  on  its  pedestal  that  at  a  not  great  distance  it 
seems  of  natural  size.  Though  hollow,  it  required 
seventy-eight  tons  of  brass  in  its  construction,  made 
of  cannon  taken  in  wars,  mostly  from  the  Turks. 
It  cost  ninety-seven  thousand  dollars,  and  was  ten 
years  in  making.  In  the  hollow  head  nine  or  ten 
persons  can  find  room,  and  out  through  her  curls 
can  crawl  up  on  to  the  outside  of  her  ample  head. 
Her  hair  hangs  in  curls  down  her  back.  One  hand 
rests  on  a  huge  lion  by  her  side,  while  in  the  other 
was  grasped  the  royal  scepter.  Altogether  it  was 
well  worthy  of  the  nation,  the  artist,  the  design — 
and  the  carriage-ride  to  see  it.  Thence  to  the 
establishment  where  are  made  the  beautiful  stained- 
glass  windows  which  adorn  and  beautify  the  windows 
of  so  many  churches  in  this  and  other  lands.  Here 
we  saw  some  of  the  finest  paintings  yet  seen,  and 
done  in  glass.  Having  a  little  time  to  spare,  we  rode 
around  the  city  of  two  hundred  thousand  inhabitants, 
listened  a  few  moments  to  a  concert  of  one  hundred 
brass  instruments,  in  a  beer-garden,  and  weary,  seek 
our  beds,  preparatory  to  an  all-day  ride  along  the 
base  of  the  Bavarian  Alps,  and  the  Tyrolese  Alps, 
snow-covered,  till  at  11  o'clock  P.M.,  tired  and  hungry, 
we  enter  this  city  of  nine  hundred  thousand  inhab- 
itants— Vienna. 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       153 

The  Vienna  Exposition — Description  of  the  building — Scenes 
and  incidents — The  population  of  Vienna,  etc.,  etc. 

VENICE,  July  22,  1873. 

Since  my  last  communication  Vienna  has  enter- 
tained us  for  three  days,  and  we  have  done  what  we 
could  to  see  and  learn.  In  1855  Vienna  had  some 
70,000  population;  in  1865  it  had  500,000,  and  to- 
day has  over  900,000 — a  growth  more  rapid  than 
any  other  known  city,  Chicago  not  excepted.  A 
reason  for  it  is  found,  in  part,  in  the  enterprise  of 
the  emperor,  who  caused  the  old  city-walls  to  be 
demolished,  and  thus  let  the  city  spread;  and  partly 
to  the  fact  that  it  is  the  resident  city  of  the  nobility 
— some  nine  hundred  of  them  living  here,  and  spend- 
ing their  wealth  in  efforts  to  outdo  one  another. 
Buildings  are  being  constructed  everywhere  in  great 
numbers,  of  good  size  and  solidity,  made  mostly  of 
brick,  and  stuccoed  outside  and  inside,  so  as  to  re- 
semble stone-work.  It  is  the  best-built  city  in  Eu- 
rope— widest  streets,  best  paved,  and  kept  cleanest. 
To  ride  through  its  magnificent  parks  and  boule- 
vards gives  one  a  very  favorable  impression.  Its 
military,  horse  and  foot,  attract  attention,  and  one 
begins  to  feel  that  he  is  under  a  government  not 
like  that  at  home.  The  nobility  in  their  grand  man- 
sions, or  rolling  through  parks  in  gay  equipages, 
spacious  hotels  and  highly-draped  servants,  are  not 
all.  Among  and  under  them  is  the  teeming  popula- 
tion of  the  laboring  class — men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren. Here  we  see  women  at  work  mixing  mortar 
and  carrying  it  up  ladders  in  hods,  like  men,  sweeping 
streets,  drawing  away  filth,  often  with  dogs  to  help 
them;  for  here  even  dogs  are  harnessed,  and  com- 
pelled to  earn  their  living.  In  short,  in  the  markets, 
in  the  streets,  and  in  the  fields,  women  seem  to  be 
the  working-class.  So  in  trade — in  stores  and  shops 
the  women  act  as  if  they  were  as  good  as  the  men, 
not  even  omitting  beer  and  tobacco.  All  this  we 
7* 


154          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

cannot  fail  to  see  as  we  pass  through  the  city  to  the 

freat  attraction  of  the  place  at  present — the  World's 
air,  or  Exposition.  - 

Each  country  presents  its^peculiar  and  best  pro- 
ducts, and  each  seems  to  excel  the  other  in  some 
one  thing — America  in  sewing-machines  and  mow- 
ing-machines ;  England  in  iron-works  and  weaving- 
machinery  ;  France  in  silk  and  tasteful  fabrics ;  Italy 
and  Greece  in  statuary;  Germany  in  oil-paintings 
and  lager-beer;  Austria  for  the  finest  display  of  the 
largest  number  and  variety  of  useful  and  ornamental 
things;  Egypt,  China,  and  Japan,  of  course,  had 
their  noted  peculiarities  in  luxurious  abundance. 
Please  fancy  the  finest  fabrics  you  have  ever  seen 
from  these  countries;  then  imagine  them  arranged 
under  the  most  favorable  circumstances  for  exhibi- 
tion; then  add  the  greatest  skill  in  their  complete 
and  unique  arrangement,  and  even  then  you  will 
fail  to  fancy  it  as  it  is.  Take,  for  instance,  one  ar- 
ticle— thread,  in  spools  of  all  sizes  and  colors,  in 
balls,  in  skeins;  then  fancy  them  arranged  in  col- 
umns, turrets,  windows,  domes,  painting,  sculpture 
— in  short,  a  complete  cathedral,  well  proportioned 
and  thirty  feet  highland  you  may  fancy  how  one 
company  show  their  thread. 

The  buildings  are  situated  on  the  east  side  of  the 
city,  inclosing  one  thousand  acres,  a  part  of  which 
is  made  up  of  royal  gardens.  The  building  is  shaped 
like  the  frame  of  a  fish.  The  dimensions  are  almost 
three  thousand  feet  in  length,  with  sixteen  transepts 
or  thirty-two  side-sections,  like  the  ribs  of  a  fish,  so 
made  that  light  enough  may  be  had  in  the  main  build- 
ing and  transepts,  and  in  many  instances  the  spaces 
between  the  transepts  have  been  filled  with  addi- 
tional buildings,  till  the  whole  single  structure  covers 
one  hundred  arid  seventy  acres  of  ground.  We  enter 
at  the  west  end,  and  enter  at  once  rooms  marked 
North  America,  and  in  the  other  transept  South 


LETTERS  FROM  KEV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       155 

America ;  for  the  arrangement  of  nations  is  eastward 
in  order,  beginning  with  America,  North  and  South, 
two  sections,  then  England  five,  Spain  and  Portugal 
one,  France  seven,  Switzerland  two,  Italy  three,  Bel- 
gium two,  Austria  twenty- two,  Russia  three,  Egypt 
one,  China  two,  Turkey  two,  Japan  two.  All  this 
shows  the  comparative  space  in  the  main  building  oc- 
cupied by  different  nations,  and  some  in  parts  by  na- 
tions not  named  in  the  above  list.  Again,  see  samples 
of  silk  piled  one  above  another  in  such  a  way  as  to 
represent  the  side  of  a  room  tapestried  with  animals, 
and  trees,  and  flowers.  Or  see  a  huge  shaft,  like 
Bunker  Hill  monument,  with  medallions  and  inscrip- 
tions on  its  pedestal,  white  as  marble ;  go  up  and  read: 

"In  memoriam  of  Mr.  B ,  manufacturer  of  wax, 

porcelain,  and  spermacetti."  Of  all  ingenious  de- 
vices to  attract  attention  and  challenge  notice,  the 
most  noteworthy  of  each  nation  can  be  found  here. 
Do  not  think  every  thing  is  within  the  main  building. 
There  is  a  machine-shop  of  nearly  the  same  length,  in 
which,  by  steam-powder,  is  used  a  great  variety  of  ma- 
chinery, doing  very  wonderful  work.  I  saw  a  com- 
plicated machine  making  tapestry,  or  figured  lace.  It 
was  a  kind  of  loom,  yet  without  any  shuttle;  farther 
I  cannot  describe  it.  Wood-work,  iron-work,  clay- 
work,  leather-work,  wool-work,  cotton-work,  silk- 
work,  paper-work — nearly  every  thing  but  shoddy- 
work.  Besides  the  main  building,  called  the  Palace 
of  Industry,  and  the  machinp-hall  just  mentioned, 
there  are  a  few  others  I  might  mention  by  name  if 
you  were  willing  to  read  through  a  list  of  names  to  the 
number  of  two  hundred  and  eighty-eight,  including 
many  large  houses  filled  with  fine  arts,  many  illus- 
trating the  war-weapons  of  different  nations,  large 
musical-instrument  establishments,  Swiss  toy-shops, 
model  school-houses  and  dwellings  of  many  parts  of 
the  earth,  agricultural  halls,  metal  industries,  model 
stables,  not  to  omit  restaurants  of  and  for  all  na- 


156          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

tions.  Should  I  enumerate  them  all,  without  a  more 
complete  description,  the  story  would  be  as  tedious 
as  the  one,  "And  another  aiit  came  and  took  a  grain 
of  corn." 

In  the  center  of  the  Palace  of  Industry  is  a  grand 
dome  of  twice  the  area  of  that  of  St.  Peter's  church 
at  Rome.  It  is  three  hundred  and  forty-six  feet  in 
diameter,  and  seventy-five  feet  to  the  top  of  the  pe- 
destal and  base  of  the  dome,  with  a  circular  walk 
within,  from  which  we  look  down  on  the  grandest 
display  in  the  building.  So  far,  we  go  up  in  an  ele- 
vator; then,  in  a  winding  way,  half  round  and  up 
the  dome,  on  the  outside,  for  five  hundred  feet  we 
walk,  looking  down  upon  all  the  surroundings  of 
this  World's  Fair.  Then,  in  a  smaller  circle  by  one- 
half,  we  walk  around  the  outside  and  see  the  whole 
city,  as  a  map,  below  us.  North  of  us  flows  the 
Danube,  with  its  turbid  waters,  through  a  level 
country  teeming  with  a  busy  population.  A  little 
to  the  north-east  of  us  we  see  the  famous  battle-field 
of  Wagram,  where  Napoleon,  by  the  charge  of  Mc- 
Donald, sacrificed  fifteen  thousand  men  to  gain  his 
point.  At  different  points  around  the  dome  were 
placed  telescopes,  through  which  we  aid  the  eye  in  a 
circle  of  twenty  miles  radius,  and  behold  the  pride 
and  pomp  of  Austria.  Still  higher  above  us  rises 
the  dome,  till,  some  three  hundred  feet  from  the 
ground,  it  is  crowned  with  a  most  magnificent  golden 
crown  of  Austria,  reflecting  every  way  the  burning 
rays  of  the  rising,  midday,  or  setting  sun.  "While 
underneath  afterward,  and  within  the  Industrial 
Palace,  we  saw  Francis  Joseph  II.,  the  Emperor  to 
whom  for  the  present  the  crown  belongs. 

Having  seen  the  Fair,  we  took  a  little  run  among 
the  churches  —  all  remarkable  for  something,  and 
each  differing  from  the  rest.  I  will  mention  only  two 
or  three.  St.  Peter's,  built  like  the  one  in  Home,  is 
very  old,  and  contains  an  immense  amount  of  genius, 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.        157 

in  the  shape  of  architecture,  sculpture,  and  painting. 
The  wealth  of  many  rich  men  has  been  lavished  on 
the  adornment  of  the  church — one  of  the  ways  by 
which  the  rich  lessen  the  pains  of  purgatory.  Many 
of  the  columns  were  covered  with  carved  vines, 
among  the  branches  of  which  were  numerous  little 
naked  angels,  or  cupids,  in  every  variety  of  attitude, 
with  distended  cheeks,  as  if  blowing  the  praises  of 
some  one,  once  white  and  beautiful,  no  doubt,  but 
now  dark  and  dirty  with  age  and  dust.  By  the  way, 
in  parenthesis,  this  is  true  of  much  of  the  ancient 
statuary.  Age  has  colored  them  dark  and  gloomy, 
and  time  has  gnawed  them  with  her  teeth,  till  they 
are  not  what  fancy  painted  them.  Within  this  church, 
in  a  crypt,  lies  the  son  of  Napoleon,  and  in  an  urn 
the  heart  of  Maria  Theresa;  and  underneath  an 
altar  was  a  skeleton  arrayed  in  gorgeous  apparel, 
with  glittering  tiara,  eye-sockets  with  jewels,  bony 
fingers  with  flashing  rings,  patela  bright  with  dia- 
monds, feet  in  finely-worked  slippers.  I  was  told  it 
was  the  skeleton  of  one  of  the  popes.  Under  another 
altar  was  another  in  like  memorial  habiliments. 
Never  have  I  seen  such  a  mocking  contrast  of  death 
in  life.  The  Cathedral  of  St.  Stephen  was,  or  is, 
worthy  of  note  for  several  particulars.  In  it  are  the 
letters  A.  E.  I.  0.  IL,  the  motto  of  Fredrick;  they 
are  the  initial  letters  of  Latin  words  meaning,  "Aus- 
tria must  rule  the  world."  Let  Latin  scholars  guess 
the  words.  In  its  crypt  is  the  burial-place  of  roy- 
alty. For  the  last  two  hundred  years  only  their 
bowels  are  buried  here,  their  bodies  in  the  Church  of 
the  Capuchins,  and  their  hearts  in  the  Church  of  the 
Augustines.  Who  would  not  be  a  king? 


158         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  X. 

Letter  from  Vienna,  by  the  Eev.  Charles  W.  Gushing. 

OUR  party  (Cook's  Educational  Party)  reached 
Vienna  on  the  evening  of  July  17,  via  Munich. 
Thus  far  every  step  of  our  journey  has  been  delight- 
ful be}Tond  description,  so  that  it  really  seemed  that 
from  the  time  we  stepped  on  board  the  grand 
steamship  Victoria,  at  New  York,  a  good  Providence 
had  been  preparing  the  way  for  us;  and  now, 
though  we  have  heard  rumors  of  cholera  in  Vienna, 
we  are  prepared  to  go  forward  without  fear,  for  we 
found  that  the  rumors,  though  not  entirely  without 
foundation,  had  greatly  exaggerated  the  facts.  It  is 
sufficient  to  say,  that  without  unusual  precautions, 
excepting  not  to  drink  their  miserable  water,  our 
party  were  never  in  better  health  than  in  Vienna. 

Thus  far  we  have  found  no  city  in  Europe  which 
is  laid  out  on  a  scale  of  such  magnificence  and 
grandeur  as  Vienna.  The  present  emperor,  while 
doing  a  good  work  abroad,  is  also  doing  nobly  for 
his  people  at  home.  The  magnificence,  however,  is 
not  due  to  the  influence  of  the  emperor  alone;  for 
there  is  no  other  city  in  Europe  which  has  so  many 
resident  nobility  as  Vienna.  Not  less  than  two 
hundred  families  of  princes,  counts,  and  barons  live 
here.  The  city  has  a  large  number  of  parks,  aside 
from  the  Eoyaf  Park  (where  the  Exposition  is  held), 
which  embraces  one  thousand  acres,  while  many  of 
the  streets,  which  run  entirely  through  and  around 


LETTER  FROM  REV.  C.  W.  GUSHING.        159 

the  city,  are  laid  out  on  a  scale  which  would  astound 
American  economists. 

Many  of  the  churches  at  Vienna,  some  of  which 
are  very  old,  have  peculiar  histories  linked  with 
them.  The  Maximilian,  or  Votive  Church,  not  yet 
completed,  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful.  Though 
not  large,  it  is  almost  an  exact  copy  of  the  Ca- 
thedral at  Cologne.  Its  foundation  was  laid  hy  the 
ill-fated  Maximilian,  of  Mexican  fame,  who  was  a 
brother  of  the  present  Emperor  of  Austria.  In 
1853  there  was  an  attempt  made  upon  the  life  of 
the  Emperor  Francis  Joseph,  and  this  church,  it  is 
said,  was  projected  by  Maximilian  as  a  thank-offer- 
ing for  the  escape  of  the  emperor  from  the  hand  of 
the  assassin.  It  is  hard  to  reconcile  such  religious 
consecration  with  the  facts  connected  with  the  pri- 
vate lives  of  many  of  these  men. 

In  the  Church  of  St.  Augustine  is  the  famous 
monument  of  the  Archduchess  Maria  Christina, 
the  masterpiece  of  the  great  Venetian  sculptor, 
Canova.  In  Loretto  Chapel,  in  this  church,  are  the 
silver  urns  which  contain  the  hearts  of  the  imperial 
family  who  have  died  within  the  last  two  hundred 
years,  such  as  Maria  Theresa,  Napoleon  IL,  etc. 
The  bodies  of  all  these  imperials  are  buried  in  the 
Church  of  the  Capuchins.  Maximilian  is  also  en- 
tombed here.  The  old  Church  of  St.  Stephen's, 
which  is  exactly  in  the  center  of  the  old  city,  was 
begun  early  in  the  twelfth  century,  and  is  the  larg- 
est and  most  important  church  of  the  city,  though 
it  contains  nothing  of  special  interest  excepting  the 
bodies  of  the  Austrian  Emperors  who  died  prior  to 
the  last  two  hundred  years. 

But  these  are  things  whose  special  features  of 
interest  are  with  the  past.  What  makes  Vienna  an 
object  of  world-wide  interest  to-day,  is  her  great 
International  Exposition.  Beyond  question,  this  is 
much  the  largest  and  finest  the  world  has  ever  seen, 


160         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

and  without  doubt  the  largest  it  will  see  for  a  long 
time  to  come;  for  it  is  such  a  stupendous  failure, 
financially,  that  no  natiojj  will  venture  to  undertake 
another  on  so  grand  a  scale  for  many  years.  The 
Exposition  is  here  on  a  scale  of  grandeur  which  is 
bewildering,  not  to  say  overwhelming;  but  the 
people  are  not  here.  The  admission  is  amazingly 
cheap  (only  twenty-five  cents  on  ordinary  days), 
and  yet  there  is  no  crowd.  Stranger's  are  not  in  the 
city,  only  in  small  numbers. 

It  is  not  possible  to  give  those  who  read  about  it 
any  thing  like  a  just  conception  of  its  magnitude, 
still  a  few  statements,  which  must  be  for  the  most 
part  repetitions  of  what  has  been  said  by  others, 
may  start  thought  in  the  right  direction. 

The  grounds  on  wrhich  the  Exposition  is  located, 
and  much  of  which  is  occupied  in  one  way  or 
another,  embrace  one  thousand  acres,  all  inclosed. 
The  buildings  containing  the  articles  for  exposition, 
cover  about  one  hundred  and  seventy  acres,  and 
most  of  them  are  filled  in  every  part  to  repletion. 
The  main  building  is  about  three-fifths  of  a  mile  in 
length,  with  deep  transepts  on  either  side,  as  closely 
as  they  can  stand  together.  When  we  first  arrived 
at  the  Exposition,  a  friend  and  myself  determined 
that  we  would  first  walk  through  the  aisles  of  the 
main  building,  and  its  transepts,  as  quickly  as  we 
could,  without  stopping  to  examine  any  thing, 
merely  to  get  an  impression  of  its  magnitude.  By 
walking  fast  we  were  able  to  accomplish  this  in 
a  day  and  a-half,  and  the  hardest  day  and  a-half  of 
work  I  ever  did.  Now,  when  you  remember  that 
on  both  sides  of  these  aisles,  displayed  in  the  most 
fantastic  manner,  the  best  and  the  richest  produc- 
tions of  nearly  every  nation  upon  earth  are  arrayed, 
you  may  begin  to  get  some  conception  of  this  Ex- 
position. But  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  this  is 
only  one  building — that  the  machinery  fills  another 


LETTER  FROM  REV.  C.  W.  GUSHING.       161 

building  of  the 'same  length  as  this — and  that  the 
department  of  fine  arts  occupies  still  another  build- 
ing, which  is  immense  in  size.  Besides  these,  there 
are  nearly  two  hundred  buildings  more,  many  of 
which  are  devoted  to  the  exposition  of  useful  and 
curious  things  from  the  different  nations  of  the 
earth. 

The  American  department,  with  one  or  two  ex- 
ceptions, makes  the  poorest  display,  and  for  two 
reasons:  We  show  very  little  that  is  ornamental, 
and  we  exhibit  very  little  machinery.  In  regard  to 
the  first,  we  are  a  practical,  utilitarian  people,  de- 
voting comparatively  little  time  or  money  to  orna- 
ment. So  we  have  not  much  to  show  in  this  line. 
We  might  have  made  a  good  display  of  machinery, 
but  the  Austrian  government  would  give  us  no  pro- 
tection in  the  matter  of  our  patents,  and  our 
machinists  and  manufacturers  would  not  send  their 
machines  here  when  they  knew  that  their  patents 
would  be  stolen  and  appropriated.  But  laying  this 
aside,  an  American  can't  help  feeling  that,  judged 
by  the  exhibition  here,  we  must  be  grossly  mis- 
judged. Still,  the  great  disgrace  comes  from  the 
mismanagement  of  our  department. 

Whatever  may  be  said  of  Mr.  Van  Buren,  there 
can  be  no  doubt  that  his  appointment  was  an  unfor- 
tunate one.  From  all  I  can  gather  from  those  who 
have  been  on  the  ground  from  the  first,  I  conclude 
that  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  not  guilty  of  complicity, 
but  that,  though  an  able  man  in  many  directions, 
he  had  not  the  talent  for  organizing  the  machinery 
here,  and  setting  it  at  work.  The  subordinates 
were,  without  doubt,  in  many  instances,  men  who 
cared  very  little  for  our  national  display  or  reputa- 
tion, providing  they  could  make  money  out  of  the 
operation.  Mr.  Van  Buren  had  not  the  ability  to 
control  them,  and  so  was  led  into  many  schemes  for 
which  he  was  not  personally,  though  he  was  ofiicially, 


162        A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

responsible.  Besides  this,  our  Commissioners  have 
been  changing  so  often  mat  there  has  been  no  well- 
defined  plan  of  action,  and  hence  no  system.  Taken 
away  from  the  other  nations,  we  have  a  good  dis- 
play; beside  them,  it  is  very  meager.  The  want  of 
system  has  put  us  at  disadvantage  in  every  way.  It 
is  only  a  week  ago  I  was  told  by  one  of  the  depart- 
ment that  boxes  were  found  containing  collections 
of  our  periodicals,  and  some  other  things,  in  one 
corner  of  the  grounds,  having  been  in  the  rain 
so  long  that  every  thing  was  spoiled.  I  suppose 
that  every  thing  is  being  done  now  that  can  be,  but 
it  is  too  late  to  redeem  ourselves  this  time. 

It  is  really  marvelous  to  see  the  world  brought 
together  in  an  exposition  of  this  kind.  To  study  it 
is  to.  get  enlarged  ideas  of  the  race,  and  to  feel  that 
the  nations  upon  which  we  are  accustomed  to  look 
down,  are  not  so  far  beneath  us  as  we  have  been 
wont  .to  think;  and  that  in  many  things  they  can 
teach  us  important  lessons  which  we  ought  not  to 
fail  to  learn.  We  are  a  great  people,  but  we  are  a 
small  part  of  the  world.  We  have  made  much  pro- 
gress in  many  directions,  but  we  have  much  more 
to  learn,  and  the  teachers  are  at  hand. 


LETTER  FROM  Miss  HATTIE  STANARD.       163 


CHAPTER   XI. 

Letter  from  Miss  Hattie  Stanarcl,  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
NEW  YORK,  August  27,  1873. 

EDITOR  OF  SCHOOL  JOURNAL: — Our  party  arrived 
in  Munich,  Munchen,  Saturday-evening,  and  after 
having  our  supper,  all  started  for  the  gardens,  of 
which  that  city  contains  many,  and  where  we  heard 
some  very  fine  music;  but  we  could  not  understand 
how  those  intelligent  .people  could  find  pleasure  in 
coming  there  night  after  night,  with  their  whole 
families,  and,  from  the  oldest  to  the  boy  or  girl  five 
years  old,  each  with  a  glass  of  beer,  pass  the  even- 
ing that  we  enjoy  so  much  at  home. 

Sabbath-day  some  of  our  party  broke  by  visiting 
a  picture-gallery  that  would  not  be  open  any  other 
day  while  we  were  there,  but  the  more  pious  ones 
visited  cathedrals,  monuments,  etc.  The  finest  of 
all  at  Munich  are  the  art  collections,  and  first  among 
these  are  the  Glyptothek  gallery  of  sculpture,  and 
the  Pinacothek,  the  gallery  of  paintings.  In  the 
latter  we  saw  fine  paintings  from  the  Italian,  Dutch, 
French,  German,  and  Spanish  schools,  and  one  hall 
devoted  entirely  to  Rubens.  In  order  to  appreciate 
them,  one  needs  to  study  each  of  the  fifteen  hun- 
dred. Among  those  we  noticed  more  particularly, 
in  the  short  time  we  had  to  spend  there,  were  Van 
Eyck's  "Adoration  of  the  Magi,"  Rembrandt's  "  De- 
scent from  the  Cross,"  Rubens's  "Last  Judgment," 


164          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Vander  Werf  s  "Ecce  Homo,"  and  Murillo's  "Beg- 
gar-boys eating  melons  and  grapes." 

The  finest  church  in  Munich  is  Basilica  of  St. 
Boniface,  built  by  King  Louis,  to  commemorate  the 
twenty-fifth  anniversary  of  his  marriage.  The  in- 
terior is  elegant,  with  its  sixty-four  beautiful  columns 
of  gray  marble,  making  a  nave  and  four  aisles. 
The  walls  are  magnificently  frescoed,  and  the  paint- 
ings show  the  progress  of  Christianity  in  Germany. 

Some  of  the  streets  of  Munich  are  broad  and 
handsome,  and  in  the  square  we  saw  some  fine 
statues,  especially  one  in  Karolinenpeatz,  about  one 
hundred  feet  high,  made  of  captured  cannon,  in 
memory  of  the  Bavarians  who  fell  in  the  army  of 
Bonaparte  in  the  Russian  campaign  ;  also  the  bronze 
statue  of  Bavaria,  outside  of  the  city,  representing 
a  female  with  a  sword  in  her  right  hand,  and  the 
wreath  of  victory  in  her  left.  On  one  side  is  the 
lion  of  Bavaria.  It  is  sixty  feet  high,  and  stands 
upon  a  pedestal  thirty  feet  high.  With  all  the 
pleasing  sights  we  saw  in  Munich,  we  saw  one  that 
was  not  pleasant — women  carrying  the  hod  up  a 
ladder  to  the  top  of  a  three-story  building.  We 
thought  then,  0  Munich!  you  have  done  well  with 
the  arts,  but  why  not  have  elevated  your  women  a 
little  ?  And  we  come  to  America  feeling  that  Ameri- 
can women  hold  an  enviable  position  to  the  women 
of  any  country  we  have  visited. 

At  Munich  Mr.  Cook,  who  had  been  with  us 
since  we  arrived  in  Glasgow,  and  who  had  been  a 
kind  father  to  us  all,  and  done  much  to  make  each 
day  pleasant,  not  only  with  his  knowledge  of  the 
country,  the  railways,  steamers,  t etc.,  but  with  his 
ever  cheerful  face  and  pleasant  words,  left  us  to  the 
tender  (?)  mercies  of  a  German  conductor,  who  if 
he  had  had  control  of  his  temper  in  any  reasonable 
degree  would  have  been  quite  passable.  However, 
we  soon  learned  to  not  address  him  unless  we  ex- 


LETTER  FROM  Miss  HATTIE  STANARD.      165 

pected  our  nervous  system  to  be  shattered  beyond 
recovery  for  at  least  twenty-four  hours. 

Our  next  stopping-place  was  Vienna  (Wien),  and 
as  we  rode  through  the  streets  we  were  reminded 
many  times  of  Paris  by  some  of  the  buildings,  the 
display  of  goods  in  the  shop  windows,  etc. 

The  next  three  days  were  spent  at  the  Exposition, 
and  when  they  were  ended  we  felt  almost  as  though 
we  had  seen  the  whole  world  together;  especially 
when  we  were  in  the  Japanese  department,  and 
saw  the  Japanese  women  and  men  at  work,  it 
seemed  quite  like  being  in  their  own  country.  The 
only  real  good  glass  of  lemonade  we  had  while  we 
were  in  Europe  we  got  at  the  American  restaurant, 
on  the  Exposition  grounds.  It  was  hot  and  dusty 
in  Vienna,  and  notwithstanding  there  was  much  of 
interest  we  had  not  seen,  we  were  rather  glad  when 
we  took  the  night  express  train  for  Mayence,  a  very 
old  town,  founded  by  the  Romans;  and  in  the  walls 
of  the  citadel  is  a  monument  erected  by  the  Roman 
legion  in  honor  of  Drusus,  their  commander-in- 
chief.  Mayence  is  the  strongest  fortress  in  the 
German  Confederation.  There  we  saw  a  noveltj7, 
in  the  way  of  a  bridge  of  boats,  two  thousand  two 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  in  length,  made  of  fifty 
boats. 

And  now  we  are  going  down  the  Rhine.  Some 
one  has  very  appropriately  named  this  a  "river  of 
romance,"  for  who  could  ride  on  one  of  those  nice 
little  steamers,  amid  the  beautiful  scenery,  hearing 
on  all  sides  of  him  legends  of  castle  and  tower, 
without  feeling  romantically  inclined?  However, 
we  heard  of  no  serious  cases  in  our  party,  and  we 
think  no  rash  act  was  done. 

We  pass  the  old  castle  of  Johannisburg,  three 
hundred  and  forty  feet  above  the  river,  surrounded 
by  the  vineyards  from  whence  comes  the  celebrated 
Jo-hannis-bagger — as  it  is  called — wine,  called  the 


166         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

finest  wines  of  the  Rhine.  And  then  we  come  to 
'Bingen  on  the  Rhine."  JSTothing  of  particular  in- 
terest here,  excepting  that  it  was  the  home  of  the 
soldier  about  whom  the  beautiful  poem  was  written; 
so  after  saying  the  poem,  and  feeling  sorry  for  the 
other,  "not  a  sister,"  we  turned  our  attention  to  the 
Mouse  Tower,  where  Bishop  Hatto's  bones  were 
picked.  And  then  we  are  passing  great  vineyards, 
and  as  we  go  round  a  little  bend  in  the  river  we  see 
the  fine  old  castle  of  Rheinstein,  two  hundred  and 
fifty  feet  above  the  river,  and  many  other  castles  too 
numerous  to  mention  here.  As  we  look  far  down 
the  river  we  see  a  train  of  cars  coming,  and  we  can 
scarcely  realize  that  they  are  not  a  part  of  the  nat- 
ural picture,  and  that  the  rocks  were  not  placed 
there  with  tunnels  already  in  them  purposely  for 
the  cars  to  run  through,  but  the  shriek  of  the  loco- 
motive brings  us  back  from  romance  to  the  practi- 
cal. Far  up  above  the  river  we  see  two  castles 
called  the  "hostile  brothers."  The  legend  of  these 
is  of  two  brothers  loving  the  same  lady,  which  was 
the  cause  of  the  castles'  hostility.  Then  Hildegarde, 
the  lady,  retired  to  a  convent  at  the  foot  of  the  hill 
and  the  brothers  were  reconciled,  and  ever  after 
lived  in  one  castle. 

Stolzenfels  was  the  most  beautifully  rebuilt  castle 
we  saw,  though  smaller  than  many. 

-As  we  passed  Fortress  Ehrenbreitstein  (Gibraltar 
of  Germany),  we  saw  the  pyramid  Byron  speaks  of 
in  his  Childe  Harold. 

Beneath  its  base  are  hero's  ashes  hid, 
Our  enemy's— but  let  not  that  forbid 
Honor  to  Marceau ! 

Here  is  where  the  "Blue  Moselle"  comes  into  the 
Rhine,  or  rather  flows  along  by  the  side  of  it,  for 
the  Moselle  does  not  mingle  with  the  dark  waters 
of  the  Rhine  for  some  distance. 


LETTER  FROM  Miss  HATTIE  STANARD.       167 

"We  pass  the  Castles  of  Drachenfels  (Dragon's 
Rock)  and  Rolandseck,  and  in  the  distance  see  the 
seven  mountains,  while  just  by  us  is  the  island  of 
Nonnenworth,  with  its  convent. 

So  we  go  on,  not  stopping  our  sight-seeing  even 
to  eat,  for  the  saloon  and  dinner-hour  are  so  conven- 
iently arranged  that  we  can  eat  and  at  the  same 
time  see  all  of  interest  that  we  are  passing  on  either 
side.  At  5  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  we  land  at 
Cologne,  and  our  ride  on  the  Rhine  is  ended. 
Cologne  is  not  a  nice  looking  place,  neither  is  it  a 
pleasantly  scented  place,  as  its  name  would  imply; 
on  the  contrary,  the  perfume  of  its  long,  narrow, 
winding,  dirty  streets,  is  exceedingly  disagreeable. 

A  beautiful  stone  bridge,  and  a  bridge  of  boats, 
connects  Cologne  and  the  beautiful  little  town  of 
Dentz  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river.  The  great 
Cathedral  here  is  an  imposing  Gothic  building, 
commenced  six  hundred  years  ago,  and  as  far  as  we 
could  learn,  it  seems  probable  that  it  will  never  be 
finished,  although  they  keep  busily  working  on  it. 
The  interior  is  four  hundred  and  thirty  feet  long, 
and  one  hundred  and  forty  in  width;  the  transept 
is  two  hundred  and  thirty  feet  in  length,  and  the 
choir  one  hundred  and  forty  feet  high;  the  part 
used  for  service  has  an  area  of  seventy  thousand 
square  feet.  Every  thing  about  it  is  elegant. 

The  most  amusing  thing  we  saw  was  the  Church 
of  St.  Ursula,  where  our  guide  told  us  were  the 
bones  of  eleven  thousand  virgins  !  who  were  murdered 
on  that  spot  on  their  return  from  a  pilgrimage  to 
Rome.  We  looked  very  sober  about  it,  and  of 
course  believed  it  all,  for  could  we  not  see  for  our- 
selves the  bones,  which  were  four  feet  deep  and  two 
feet  thick  in  the  walls  of  the  church,  sticking  out 
through  the  little  iron  grates,  and  the  skulls  hang- 
ing all  around  the  church,  and  the  huge  boxes  of 
bones  ?  To  be  sure  many  of  them  looked  like  chick- 


168  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

en  bones,  and  other  kinds  we  were  familiar  with, 
but  then  they  were  not,  0  no !  it  could  never  have 
been,  and  we  thought  what  a  great  scarcity  of  vir- 
gins there  must  have  been  after  that.  Then  our 
guide  took  us  into  the  Golden  Chamber.  We  had 
to  pay  more  to  go  in  there,  it  was  worth  more,  and 
I  think  he  would  have  liked  to  have  had  us  present 
certificates  of  good  moral  character  before  we  went 
in.  There  we  saw  a  thorn  from  the  Saviour's  crown, 
one  of  the  very  pots  used  in  making  the  wine  at 
the  marriage  of  Can  a,  a  box  of  teeth  once  used  by 
the  eleven  thousand  virgins,  and  other  things  too 
wonderful  to  mention. 

Every  one  bought  cologne  water  at  Cologne,  and 
although  hardly  any  two  of  the  party  purchased  at 
the  same  place,  yet  each  was  positive  that  he  had 
his  from  the  "original  Jean  Antoine  Marie  Farina." 
Now  we  must  say  good-bye  to  Rhineland,  for  we  are 
off  to  Brussels  (Bruxelles) — Paris  in  miniature. 

We  reached  Brussels  late  in  the  afternoon,  and 
after  having  our  suppers,  went  to  a  palace  garden 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  city,  where  we  heard  a  fine 
instrumental  concert,  admission  eight  cents.  Of 
course  we  had  to  go  shopping.  Who  ever  came 
away  from  Brussels  without  going  shopping,  even 
though  he  bought  nothing?  And  as  we  went 
through  the  lace-stores,  of  which  there  are  so  many, 
and  the  manufactories,  we  thought — 

Here  are  tissues  fit  for  angels,  wrought  with  wreath,  and  point, 

and  star, 

In  most  curious  devices.     Never  saw  I  aught  so  rare — 
Where  found  you  these  frail  webs,  woven  of  the  lightest  sum- 
mer air? 

We  visited  the  great  square  of  Brussels,  where 
"the  sound  of  revelry  by  night"  was  heard  and 
noted;  Hotel  de  Yille,  a  fine  old  Gothic  structure, 
its  central  tower  three  hundred  and  sixty-four  feet 
high.  In  front  are  two  statues,  of  Count  Egmout 


LETTER  FROM  Miss  HATTIE  STANARD.       169 

and  Horn,  the  Duke  of  Alva's  victims,  who   per- 
ished there. 

We  were  interested  in  the  dog-teams  drawing 
milk-carts,  and  loads  of  vegetables,  to  market, 
driven  by  old  women  with  queer  head-dresses 
and  wooden  slippers.  There  is  a  fine  museum  of 
paintings  in  Brussels,  and  a  gallery  well  worth  visit- 
ing of  very  original  pictures,  formerly  owned  by 
an  artist  named  Wiertz,  who  is  now  dead.  Before 
going  there  prepare  yourself  to  be  continually  sur- 
prised, and  in  the  most  unexpected  ways. 

Our  stay  at  Antwerp  (Anners)  was  short — only 
time  for  a  visit  to  Rubens's  two  paintings,  the  "  Ele-. 
vation  and  Descent  from  the  Cross."  They  are 
kept  veiled  in  the  cathedral.  By  p*vying  two  and  a 
half  francs  (fifty  cents)  the  veil  was  lifted  and  we 
could  see  them. 

In  the  Church  of  St.  Jacques  we  visited  the  tomb 
of  Rubens.  In  the  Place  Verte  is  a  fine  statue  of 
the  artist. 

The  next  morning  we  congratulated  ourselves 
that  we  had  crossed  the  English  Channel  twice 
without  being  sea-sick.  We  were  soon  back  in 
London. 

After  a  call  at  98  Fleet  street,  the  ofiice  of  Cook 
&  Son,  where  we  found  letters  from  home,  and  got 
the  latest  news  from  over  the  ocean,  we  went  to 
Westminster  Abbey.  Saw  the  monuments  to  Eng- 
land's greatest,  best,  and  some  of  her  worst,  men. 
One  can  spend  much  time  at  the  Abbey  with  inter- 
est. On  Sunday  morning  we  heard  Spurgeon,' and 
in  the  evening  went  to  St.  Paul's  Cathedral. 

"It  is,"  as  some  one  has  said,  "in  the  sculptured 
marble  you  may,  in  Westminster  Abbey,  St.  Paul's, 
and  the  old  cathedrals  of  the  country,  read  Eng- 
land's history  again,  and  seem  to  approach  nearer, 
and  have  a  more  realizing  sense  of  her  great  men 
and  their  deeds,  than  from  the  pages  of  the  printed 


170          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

volume."  After  this  short  visit  to  the  Old  World, 
we  feel  not  at  all  satisfied,  and  are  ready  now  for  a 
long  visit  to  the  same  places,  and  to  many  we  have 
not  seen.  Mr.  Cook  came  with  us  to  Glasgow  and 
saw  us  off  on  the  "Italia."  "We  were  sorry  to  part 
with  him,  for  we  not  only  respected  him  and  had 
confidence  in  him,  but  really  liked  him  very  much. 
The  passage  home  was  rough  and  "up  hill,"  not 
nearly  so  pleasant  as  going  over,  and  all  were  glad 
to  see  the  spires  of  New  York. 


BEAUTIFUL  VENICE.  171 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"Beautiful  Venice" — An  Avalanche  correspondent  in  the  city 
of  the  sea — From  Austria  to  Italy — Highly  romantic  scen- 
ery— Sights  and  impressions  in  Venice. 

VENICE,  July  22,  1873. 

THOUGH  I  wrote  you  two  long  letters  from  Vienna, 
a  day  or  two  since,  I  want  to  say  something  of  our 
route  to  this  "water  city"  before  I  go  out  to  see  it. 
We  have  just  landed  here  out  of  the  gondolas, 
after  a  travel  of  about  twenty-four  hours  over  a 
very  interesting  country  by  rail.  The  country  for 
some  two  hours  from  Vienna  is  level,  between  ledges 
of  mountains  seen  far  away.  It  has  a  fine  crop  of 
wheat  ready  for  harvest,  and  being  gathered,  mostly 
by  women,  with  reap-hooks.  "We  then  come  to  fields 
of  corn,  the  first  we  have  seen ;  it  is  small,  but  looks 
well.  Then  comes  the  pine,  in  rows,  of  different 
sizes,  in  plats  like  their  wheat  and  corn.  After 
these  are  past  we  strike  in  the  highest  mountains, 
and  by  winding  round  and  round  ascend  them  to  a 
dizzy  height.  It  was  estimated  that  we  traveled 
five  miles  circuitously  to  advance  one  in  the  proper 
direction.  After  running  to  every  point  of  the 
compass,  we  gain  the  heights,  to  behold  the  most 
romantic  scenery  I  ever  witnessed.  The  valleys 
below  us,  with  fine  little  farms,  "well  tilled,"  nice 
little  houses,  perhaps  well  filled,  and  for  aught  I 
know,  pretty  little  wives,  "well  willed."  The  ser- 
pentine road  below  almost  as  white  as  the  snow- 


172  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

clad  mountains  above,  upon  which  stand  old  castles, 
built  in  other  ages  for  defense — still  grand  in  their 
ruins — presented  a  scene  it  has  never  been  rny  for- 
tune to  witness  before.  It  is  the  most  remarkable 
structure  in  Europe.  It  was  built  by  the  Austrian 
government.  The  first  twenty-five  miles  cost 
$7,500,000.  It  is  carried  along  the  face  of  the  preci- 
pices by  fifteen  tunnels — one  of  them  is  four  thou- 
sand five  hundred  and  eighteen  feet  through,  two 
thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety-four  feet  above 
the  level  of  the  sea.  The  mountains  are  seven 
thousand  seven  hundred  feet  high,  and  on  some  of 
the  peaks  there  are  churches.  These  people  seem 
to  be  religious.  All  along  you  see  crucifixes  at  or 
near  their  houses.  "We  all  think  this  wras  the  most 
interesting  day  of  travel  we  ever  had  in  any  country. 
About  nine  o'clock  we  leave  Austria,  and  enter 
Italian  cars,  and  about  two  o'clock  we  have  to  col- 
lect bur  baggage  for  examination.  This  farce  over, 
we  roll  on,  but  did  not  discover  the  sky  to  look 
more  beautiful,  as  some  say,  but  at  daylight  we  saw 
one  of  the  loveliest  countries  we  have  ever  seen.  It 
is  level,  and  almost  literally  occupied  by  fruit-trees 
and  vines,  with  vegetables  between.  When  the 
sun  arose  there  was  a  mellow  yellow  light,  different 
from  what  we  had  seen  before.  It  was  lovely  in- 
deed to  behold.  "We  arrive  at  Venice,  or  rather  to 
the  water,  where  a  large  number  of  boats  are  wait- 
ing for  us.  In  a  few  moments  we  are  aboard,  four 
in  a  craft,  and  off  to  the  Hotel  Victoria.  This  was 
a  novel  sight  to  us  all.  To  see  these  long,  narrow 
craft,  raised  up  at  both  ends,  nearly  half  of  it  out 
of  the  water,  fitted  up  like  a  carriage,  gliding 
through  the  water  by  the  boatman's  oar,  which  he 
manages  as  dexterously  as  a  fish  his  fins,  was  excit- 
ing. Ten  of  these  novel  craft  soon  run  up  a  nar- 
row street,  as  they  call  them  here,  and  land  us 
safely,  when  in  a  few  minutes  I  am  writing  this. 


BEAUTIFUL  VENICE.  173 

Breakfast  over,  our  conductor  announces  that  at 
nine  he  will  have  a  guide  for  us  to  go  to  see  the 
sights  in  this,  in  some  respects,  the  most  remarkable 
city  in  Europe,  or  anywhere  else.  We  go  until  five 
o'clock  P.M.,  and  1  return  to  my  hasty  scrawl  to  tell 
you  something  of  what  we  have  seen  among  the 
shows. 

Seeing  the  Sights. — We  first  go  to  the  palace  of 
the  king,  a  large  old  building.  His  dominion  now 
is  a  small  one  compared  with  those  who  once  occu- 
pied it.  They  claim  a  republic,  and  have  as  much 
as  they  are  prepared  for  improving. 

Venice  is  literally  crammed  with  objects  of  inter- 
est, principally  historical.  A  city  of  such  antiquity, 
and  once  the  mistress  of  half  the  power  of  Europe, 
must  be  of  the  deepest  interest  to  all  who  reflect 
upon  it.  The  next  place  we  visit  is  the  Church  of 
St.  Mark,  near  by.  It  is  very  old,  having  been 
begun  in  900,  and  not  finished  until  1600.  It  is  of 
Saracenic  architecture,  with  Gothic  additions,  with 
the  celebrated  bronze  horses  of  Constantinople 
over  the  doors,  and  the  richest  pictures  within. 
These  horses  are  the  ones  which  Constantirie  carried 
from  Rome  to  Constantinople.  Manni  Zeno  brought 
them  here  in  1205.  They  were  taken  to  Paris  by 
Napoleon  1797,  but  restored  to  Venice  in  1815.  A 
great  dome  rises  in  the  center,  and  four  smaller 
ones  around  the  arms  of  the  cruciform  structure. 
A  multitude  of  pillars  and  white  domes  clustered 
into  a  long  pyramid  of  colored  light,  seems  partly 
of  gold,  opal,  and  mother-of-pearl.  Angels,  and 
signs  of  heaven,  and  the  labors  of  men  are  seen 
around.  Underfoot  and  overhead  a  combined 
succession  of  crowded  imagery,  one  picture  passing 
another — faces  beautiful  and  terrible,  mixed  to- 
gether. Dragons  and  serpents,  ravening  beasts  and 
graceful  birds  drink  from  running  fountains — the 
passions  and  pleasures  of  life  symbolized  together, 


174         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

and  the  mystery  of  its  redemption  carved  on  every 
place.  Such  things  may  have  been  useful  in  their 
day,  but  I  think  that  day  is  forever  gone  among 
intelligent  people.  Yet  this  is  the  place  where  they 
say  that  St.  Mark  is  buried,  and  their  church  is 
named  for  that  apostle.  A  funeral  is  going  on  of  a 
man  who  has  been  dead  long,  long  ago,  but  gave  a 
large  sum  to  have  his  funeral  celebrated  three  days 
every  year,  and  this  is  the  last  one  this  year.  They 
sung  and  played  finely,  I  suppose,  but,  so  far  as 
worshiping  God  is  concerned,  it  was  mockery. 

We  go  out  to  look  at  the  clock-tower,  and  see  the 
hours  struck  by  two  bronze  figures  on  a  bell.  The 
Ducal  Palace  is  the*  great  work  of  Venice.  The 
Giant's  Causeway  forms  the  main  entrance,  and  the 
grand  council-room  the  largest,  which  is  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-four  feet,  by  thirty-five  high. 
Many  other  rooms  are  filled  with  paintings  and 
statuary,  some  of  which  would  not  be  on  exhibition 
in  our  country.  At  one  place  they  say  eight  hun- 
dred faces  are  painted  on  the  largest  painting  in 
Europe. 

On  the  Gondolas  Again. — At  one  o'clock  we  take  ten 
gondolas  at  the  hotel  door,  and  away  we  go  through 
the  streets,  the  oarsmen  jabbering  away  like  black- 
birds, and  to  us  with  no  more  meaning.  They 
seemed  to  be  proud  of  their  calling.  We  go  to  see 
another  very  fine  and  costly  church  of  more  modern 
date.  It  would  seem  that  all  had  been  done  that 
could  be  in  the  way  of  glittering  decoration,  statu- 
ary, and  paintings,  as  usual  in  the  churches,  to 
make  the  grandest  display  possible. 

In  this  there  are  seven  chapels,  built  by  seven 
noble  families,  I  suppose  to  perpetuate  their  name. 
I  will  attempt  no  description  of  this  monumental 
folly.  The  architecture  is  more  modern,  and  all  its 
equipments  have  only  been  finished  a  hundred 
years — this  they  call  new.  We  go  to  see  the  glass 


BEAUTIFUL  VENICE.  175 

manufactory.  This,  however,  is  more  of  the  gaudy 
trinkets  than  for  service.  We  pass  the  American 
Consul's  residence,  on  the  main  canal,  which  is 
some  eighty  or  one  hundred  yards  wide.  The  city 
is  built  on  a  cluster  of  islands  in  a  lagoon,  which  is 
separated  from  the  Adriatic  by  a  long,  narrow  sand 
bank,  divided  by  several  inlets,  which  are  the  en- 
trance for  ships.  This  canal  winds  through  the  city 
in  a  kind  of  double  curve,  nearly  in  the  shape  of  an 
S.  It  is  a  marine  Broadway,  on  which  may  be  seen 
hundreds,  if  not  thousands,  of  boats,  doing  the 
same  work  that  is  done  in  our  thoroughfares  by 
hacks,  drays,  and  'buses.  There  are  one  hundred 
and  forty-six  smaller  canals,  or  streets,  forming  a 
net-work  all  through  the  city;  yet  one  can  walk 
from  one  to  the  other  with  a  guide,  by  means  of 
arched  bridges  to  let  the  boats  pass  under. 

The  canal,  however,  is  the  great  highway,  and 
the  gondola  is  the  vehicle  used  for  traveling.  The 
great  place  of  resort  is  St.  Mark's  Square.  I  walked 
down  in  the  evening,  and  there  were  thousands  of 
persons  there.  The  area  is  five  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-six feet,  by  from  one  hundred  and  eighty-five 
fo  two  hundred  and  sixty-nine  in  breadth,  and 
extends  to  the  harbor,  where  ships  and  other  boats 
come,  and  where  a  fine  view  is  had  of  the  harbor, 
and  the  Adriatic  Sea.  This  is  a  great  place  of  re- 
Bort  by  the  citizens  and  travelers  in  the  evening. 
We  visited  another  old  church  of  the  monks,  who 
showed  us  through  it,  but  I  need  not  repeat.  We 
had  a  fine  sail  with  our  fleet  out  in  the  harbor  some 
distance,  the  gondola-men  singing  several  songs,  the 
boats  all  abreast.  I  failed  to  mention  our  visit  to 
the  famous  prisons,  and  the  terrible  Bridge  of 
Sighs,  with  which  your  readers  are  familiar.  It  is 
approached  by  long,  narrow,  dark  passages,  to  the 
execution  block  upon  which  thousands  of  heads 
have  been  severed.  The  Venetian  guide  explained 


176          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

and  commented  on  these  things  to  some  extent. 
My  sheet  is  full;  the  first  day  in  Venice  is  closed, 
and  I  will  terminate  my  scrawl  and  renew  after  the 
morrow's  tour. 


Venice — The  art  galleries  and  the  Eoyal  Palace — Characteris- 
tics of  the  Italians — Among  the  gondoliers,  etc. 

VENICE,  Italy,  July  24,  1873. 

Soon  after  I  mailed  my  letter  to  you  this  morning 
we  started  out  with  our  guide  to  see  the  Gallery  of 
Fine  Arts.  "We  go  by  to  see  the  place  where  Luther 
preached  before  the  Reformation,  about  which  I  need 
say  nothing,  except  that  another  reformation  is  very 
much  needed  all  over  this  country.  We  go  to  this 
gallery,  said  to  be  one  of  the  finest  in  Europe.  Vol- 
umes might  be  filled  in  describing  and  giving  the 
history  of  them.  I  will  mention  some  of  them,  which 
impressed  me  more  forcibly  than  others — one  of  the 
"  Creation,"  "  Queen  Esther's  visit  to  Solomon;"  the 
"Four  Evangelists,"  one  Matthew  with  the  eagle,  an- 
other with  the  ox,  John  with  a  child,  the  other  one  is 
St.  Luke.  A  very  large  painting,  representing  the 
"Ascension  of  Mary,"  with  those  below  and  the  an- 
gels above  to  receive  her  is  very  fine.  This  is  regarded 
as  the  best  of  the  artist's,  three  of  which  were 
shown  near  each  other;  the  first  painted  when  he 
was  fourteen,  next  at  forty-five,  and  the  last  at  ninety- 
nine  years,  having  died  before  it  was  finished. 
Then  there  was  the  "Coronation  of  Mary" — fine. 
"Death  on  the  Pale  Horse"  was  very  solemn;  the 
"Conversion  of  Ten  Thousand  Venetians  to  the 
Christian  (Catholic)  Religion,"  by  Palmer;  "St. 
Mark  working  a  Miracle;"  "The  Woman  taken  in 
Adultery;"  "First  Miracle  of  Christ — turning  the 
water  into  wine  at  the  marriage  at  Cana  of  Galilee;" 
"His  Washing  the  Disciple's  Feet,"  and  "His 
Transfiguration;"  "Solomon's  Judgment  about 


VENICE.  177 

the  two  Mothers  claiming  the  child;"  "The  Sup- 
per after  the  Resurrection;"  "Resurrection  of 
Lazarus;"  "Rich  Man  and  Lazarus;"  "Christ  in 
the  House  of  the  Pharisee,"  and  in  "St.  Luke's 
House;"  "His  Ascending,"  and  the  "Taking 
Down  from  the  Cross,"  are  all  very  impressive 
paintings.  "The  Destruction  of  the  Temple," 
"John  the  Baptist,"  "Bonaparte,"  "Hercules,"  and 
hundreds  of  others.  After  spending  some  time  in 
these  galleries  we  started  to  see  the  interior  of  the 
king's  palace ;  on  the  way  we  go  to  see  "  Shylock's  " 
place,  a  building  four  hundred  feet  by  seventy-two, 
where  the  law  was  read  to  the  people ;  a  stone  pil- 
lar in  which  was  cut  the  shape  and  size  of  the 
smallest  fish  that  was  to  be  caught  or  sold,  also  the 
size  of  the  oyster;  Post  newspaper,  bank,  and  first 
church,  built  in  421.  The  bond-broker  here  gave 
the  original  name  "Shylock,"  where  all  sorts  of 
trickery  was  carried  on.  His  descendants  are  here 
still,  while  his  posterity  have  scattered  all  over  the 
world.  It  was  well  worth  visiting,  not  only  for  its 
history,  but  from  what  is  seen  at  present. 

The  king's  palace  is  a  grand  old  establishment, 
large  enough  to  contain  a  town  of  considerable  size. 
We  are  taken  through  the  largest  and  most  impor- 
tant rooms,  and  told  what  they  were  for,  but  have 
not  time,  nor  would  you  have  the  patience  to  read 
it.  There  are  twenty-nine  finely  furnished  rooms 
on  a  side,  nine  hundred  rooms  in  the  building. 
Victor  Emmanuel  visits  this  palace  once  or  twice  a 
year,  his  residence  now  being  at  Rome.  His  audi- 
ence-room, reception-room,  and  the  ball-room  are 
the  largest. 

This  was  built  when  monarchy  was  the  power 
that  men  worshiped.  £Tow  that  power  is  on  the 
wane,  and  the  buildings  are  to  a  great  extent  va- 
cant, though  furnished  in  the  most  gorgeous  and 
costly  style.  We  were  shown  some  very  important 


178          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

works  of  art,  which  Kapoleon  took  to  France,  but 
after  his  reign  the  Congress  of  Vienna  had  them 
returned.  This  people  have  what  their  ancestors 
looked  on  with  reverence,  but  their  glory  has 
departed.  Their  living  king  has  a  large  likeness 
hanging  in  his  room,  but  he  is  gone  to  the  center 
of  his  power,  Rome.  I  have  procured  some  photo- 
graphs of  him  and  others,  with  stereoscopic  views 
of  the  palace,  St.  Mark's  Church,  and  other  places 
and  things  in  this  unique  city,  whose  glory  has  de- 
parted. It  is  now  only  about  the  size  it  was  four 
hundred  years  ago,  some  one  hundred  and  thirty 
thousand,  or  one  hundred  and  forty  thousand,  pent 
up  in  their  water-bound  homes.  We  return  to  the 
hotel  to  rest  an  hour,  and  are  off  in  gondolas  to  see 
other  things  of  interest.  "We  walked  each  morning 
on  our  routes.  We  pass  out  the  streets  into  the 
harbor,  our  guide,  with  our  United  States  flag,  lead- 
ing the  way  round  to  see  their  arsenal.  In  this 
they  have  preserved  well  the  arms  with  which  they 
fought  in  the  past  ages  of  their  history;  also,  the 
models  of  their  boats  they  used  at  the  same  time. 
Their  cannon-balls  were  stone,  some  eighteen  inches 
in  diameter,  shot  out  of  leather  guns  (cannon  they 
call  them).  Their  fighting  galley  was  a  queer  craft 
about  A.D.  1500.  One  of  these  ships  was  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  long,  by  twenty-one  wide, 
twenty-four  high,  built  in  1571,  and  carried  four 
hundred  and  sixty-eight  men.  They  have  hundreds 
of  weapons  of  olden  times,  and  some  of  them  show 
superior  skill.  They  have  guns  showing  precisely 
the  principle  of  Colt's  revolver.  Also,  breech-- 
loading cannon,  and  revolving  barrels,  shooting 
twenty  times.  The  regular  Damascus  sword  is  here 
shown,  used  just  before  powder  was  invented. 
There  was  a  model  of  a  gondola  built  of  gold  in 
1500 ;  it  is  the  same  size  and  form  as  they  have 
them  now.  This  was  built  for  their  king.  The 


VENICE.  179 

guide  said  that  Napoleon  stole  the  gold  of  which  it 
was  made^. 

Their  law  requires  all  their  boats  to  be  black, 
with  a  representation  of  a  sea-horse  at  the  bow,  all 
just  alike,  and  numbered.  They  also  carry  printed 
rates  of  fare  in  them.  Cheap  traveling.  They 
showed  us  the  sword  with  which  they  beheaded 
criminals,  and  the  model  of  a  ship  the  British  burned 
before  it  was  finished.  They  have  preserved  the 
armors  worn  in  the  past  ages,  and  many  other 
things  in  which  they  seem  to  glory  as  worthy  of 
veneration,  as  well  as  preservation.  As  we  went 
into  the  arsenal  a  crowd  of  boys  commenced  revolv- 
ing on  the  stone  pavement.  Some  pennies  were 
thrown,  to  see  them  scamper  after  them,  as  the 
pigeons  at  St.  Mark's  Square  for  corn.  One  little 
fellow  had  his  shirt  off,  or  had  none,  and  some  of 
our  party  gave  him  some  money.  As  we  returned 
they  all  had  their  shirts  off,  and  followed  us  some 
distance,  swimming  alongside  to  get  money.  These 
people  I  think  are  a  superior  race  to  many  we  have 
seen,  but  are  indolent.  They  stay  in  their  houses 
in  the  daytime,  and  crowd  St.  Mark's  Square  in  the 
evening.  There  seems  to  be  no  business  doing, 
only  a  little  huckstering.  How  they  live  I  know  not. 
No  business  seems  to  be  doing  anywhere,  save  the 
selling  of  some  things  in  the  shops. 

We  row  across  the  harbor,  some  two  miles,  over 
to  a  neck  of  land,  one-fourth  of  a  mile,  and  see  the 
Adriatic  rolling  its  waves  up  on  the  beach.  We 
gather  some  shells  to  remind  us  of  our  pleasant 
voyage,  -which  gives  us  a  fine  view  of  the  suburbs 
of  Venice  (islands).  They  built  the  city  on  seventy- 
two  islands,  so  as  to  be  protected  from  their  ene- 
mies, by  whom  they  were  surrounded. 

They  are  a  gay,  and,  apparently,  a  happy  people, 
who  are  fond  of  luxurious  ease,  if  such  a  term  can 
be  applied  to  them.  It  is  very  obvious  that  they 


180          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

have  greatly  retrograded  from  what  their  ancestors 
were.  In  the  darkness  which  succeeded  the  fall  of 
Home,  Italy  was  the  first  country  to  burst  the  tram- 
mels in  which  the  world  had  been  so  long  buried. 
Political  freedom  first  arose  amidst  the  contests  of 
the  popes  with  the  German  emperors.  And  in  the 
republics  of  Italy  the  human  mind  was  developed 
to  an  extent  which  Rome  never  equaled.  Europe 
is  indebted  to  Italy  of  the  middle  ages  for  its  first 
lessons  of  political  wisdom,  literature,  and  arts.  We 
must  ever  regard  with  admiration  and  respect  a 
people  who  have  done  so  much  in  the  great  cause  of 
human  amelioration.  Theirs  is  the  most  brilliant 
history  on  record. 

The  worst  thing  that  Louis  Napoleon  did,  I  think, 
was,  while  allowing  some  liberty  in  France,  he  kept  a 
standing  army  in  Italy  to  keep  this  people  in  sub- 
jection to  the  papal  dominion.  .  And  it  is  a  most 
remarkable  fact  that  just  as  their  Council  declared 
the  pope's  infallibility,  a  war  was  declared  by 
which  that  power  was  destroyed,  not  only  here,  but 
in  France.  The  Protestant  rises  upon  the  fall  of  pa- 
pacy. I  see  I  must  not  moralize — no  time  for  that. 

Our  fleet  returns  to  Venice.  The  "Stars  and 
Stripes,"  sung  over  by  the  gondola-men  and  Amer- 
icans, are  complimented  everywhere  we  go.  Dine 
at  6  o'clock,  and  go  out  again  to  St.  Mark's  Square 
to  see  the  assembled  thousands  in  their  nightly 
amusements. 

My  sheet  is  full.  We  are  to  be  off  on  the  morrow 
to  Florence,  and  thence  to  Rome,  to  spend  the  Sab- 
bath, and  four  days,  in  the  most  important  city  of 
Europe. 

From  Venice  to  Florence — Observations  by  the  wayside — The 
ruins  and  beauties  of  Italy. 

FLORENCE.  Italy,  July  25, 1873. 
After  I  mailed  my  letter  to  you  yesterday  at  Yen- 


FLORENCE.  181 

ice,  I  went  up  on  the  tower  on  St.  Mark's  Square, 
where  I  had  a  fine  view  of  the  city,  with  the  harbor, 
and  Adriatic  Sea.  The  city  occupies  all  the  space 
there  is,  except  what  the  canals  and  streets  use. 
The  houses  are  built  on  piles,  driven  down,  which 
after  a  time  become  petrified,  forming  a  very  sub- 
stantial basis  for  these  old  buildings.  The  country 
from  here  to  Bologna  is  the  most  delightful.  There 
are  trees  planted  in  perfect  street-rows,  about  fifty 
yards  apart,  and  the  trees  ten  or  twelve;  on  these 
the  vines  grow  and  hang  from  one  to  the  other, 
forming  a  continuous  grapery.  These  trees  are 
mulberries,  the  leaves  of  which  constitute  the  food 
for  the  use  of  the  silk-worms.  "We  saw  them  gath- 
ering them.  They  make  two  crops  in  this  country. 
Their  grain  is  harvested,  and  they  are  planting  for 
another  crop.  I  observed  ten  oxen  to  a  plow.  The 
finest  cattle  I  ever  saw  are  here,  all  white.  There 
are  a  great  many  roads,  all  as  smooth  as  a  floor, 
and  almost  as  white  as  snow.  The  contrast  with 
the  wilderness  of  trees  and  vines,  with  their  mag- 
nificent avenues  of  Lombardy  poplar,  combine  the 
beautiful  with  the  grand  in  a  most  lovely  manner. 
"We  see  churches,  with  their  little  spires  pointing  to 
the  heavens;  old  castles,  and  ruined  walls  of  cities 
and  forts,  showing  these  people  to  have  been  warlike 
in  other  days.  Now  they  seem  to  be  an  industrious 
and  thrifty  population.  Their  rivers  are  leveed  very 
high,  so  that  they  keep  the  water  in  the  proper 
channel.  They  raise  a  good  deal  of  hemp,  which 
they  are  now  pulling.  Indian  corn  constitutes  a 
part  of  their  crop.  We  stop  a  while  at  Bologna, 
change  cars,  and  our  direction  also. 

In  Florence. — This  place  is  one  of  the  most  ancient 
and  important  towns  in  Italy.  It  was  anciently  the 
capital  of  Romagna.  It  is  situated  in  a  fertile  plain, 
at  the  base  of  the  Apennines;  population  about 
ninety  thousand,  one  hundred  and  thirty  churches, 


182          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 

twenty  monasteries,  and  a  venerable  university  with 
four  hundred  pupils — in  1200  it  had  ten  thousand. 
It  is  now  antiquated,  as  well  as  the  town.  Here  the 
celebrated  Council  of  Trent  was  held  in  1547.  In 
1796  it  was  annexed  to  the  Republic  by  Napoleon. 
In  1815  it  again  became  subject  to  the  States  of  the 
Church.  In  1831  and  1849  revolutions  broke  out, 
and  in  1869  the  town  finally  united  itself  with  Italy. 
The  numerous  old  palaces  and  venerable  churches, 
surmounted  by  quaint-looking  towers,  all  bear  testi- 
mony to  the  peculiar  character  of  the  place.  Its 
glory  has  departed,  never  again  to  return.  We  soon, 
after  leaving  here,  pass  into  a  very  mountainous  re- 
gion, grand  and  gloomy.  On  some  of  the  highest 
are  old  churches,  which  seem  almost  inaccessible  at 
first,  but  we  discover  a  serpentine  road  up  to  them. 
The  sunset  here  is  lovely  beyond  description,  but  it 
arid  its  influence  is  gone,  and  we  pass  through  forty- 
six  tunnels  (some  of  them  over  a  mile  long),  on  to 
this  place  at  11  P.M.  We  had  quite  an  excitement 
on  the  train  last  night.  It  stopped  for  five  minutes. 
Miss  Conkey  and  Miss  Pegues,  both  of  Oxford, 
Mississippi,  were  in  our  car  and  got  out.  Miss  Car- 
rington,  from  Virginia,  who  was  in  another,  also 
got  out.  Not  knowing  how  short  the  time  was, 
they  were  both  left.  Mr.  Richardson,  under  whose 
care  they  were  traveling,  knowing  they  were  not  in, 
pled  with  the  conductor  to  wait,  but  he  could  not. 
The  station-master  regulated  that,  and  off  goes  the 
train,  leaving  the  ladies.  We  supposed  only  the  one  in 
our  car  was  left,  but  after  we  learned  the  other,  who 
spoke  Italian,  was  left  also,  we  were  relieved.  Mr. 
Richardson  was  very  indignant,  saying,  "I  told  him 
in  < plain  English'  they  were  left,  but  he  would  not 
stop."  His  plain  English  was  not  good  Dutch  to  the 
conductor,  as  he  knew  nothing  of  English.  Our  con- 
ductor got  a  dispatch  from  them  at  the  next  station, 
and  I  expect  to  meet  them  at  the  breakfast- table  soon , 


FLORENCE.  183 

While  at  breakfast  Colonel  Eotoman  called  to  see 
me  to  take  me  out  to  see  the  city.  He  had  his 
accomplished  daughter  with  him,  who  has  been  at 
school  several  years  in  Europe,  near  Paris,  and  in 
Rome.  She  speaks  Italian,  as  well  as  German, 
French,  and  other  languages.  Rev.  Dr.  Speer  and 
myself  took  a  seat  with  them,  and  spent  several 
hours  very  pleasantly.  We  \vent  first  to  an  emi- 
nence outside  of  the  city,  where  we  had  a  fine  view 
of  the  whole  city  below.  Then  to  the  king's  palace, 
where  we  saw  many  things  of  interest  in  the  way 
of  paintings,  statuary,  and  Mosaic,  the  finest  of 
that  kind  I  ever  saw.  There  were  some  tables 
of  Mosaic  work  that  were  said  to  have  cost  $125,000. 
Here  was  the  most  imaginative  statue  yet — Cain 
and  Abel,  the  latter  lying  down  dead.  There  were 
many  artists  copying  paintings  of  the  most  cele- 
brated artists,  as  here  only  are  the  originals  of  some 
of  them. 

From  here  we  went  to  the  Cathedral.  It  was  the 
celebration  of  high-mass,  and  the  music  was  the 
most  lively  I  ever  heard  in  a  church.  There  were 
four  chapels  in  which  candles  were  burning,  and 
in  three  of  them  worship  was  being  performed  in 
the  most  military  style  I  have  ever  seen.  These 
people  are  devout  and  religious,  in  their  way,  and, 
however  we  may  differ,  I  have  a  profound  respect 
for  their  sincerity.  The  Cathedral  is  a  magnificent 
old  building.  The  dome  is  two  hundred  and  ninety- 
eight  feet,  with  the  lantern  three  hundred  and  fifty- 
four.  Its  length  is  five  hundred  and  fifty-five  feet, 
and  three  hundred  and  forty  across  the  transepts. 
The  choir  is  underneath  the  dome.  We  went  home 
with  our  friend  and  spent  some  hours  very  pleas- 
antly with  him  and  his  family.  His  wife  is  a  very 
superior  woman,  in  bad  health,  but  full  of  mental 
vigor.  Her  brother  was  the  American  Consul,  and 
resided  several  years  at  Venice.  I  learned  more 


184          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 

here  about  Italian  matters  than  any  place  I  have 
been.  Every  thing  is  almost  as  cheap  as  labor. 
His  servants  receive  only  from,  four  dollars  to  six 
dollars  per  month.  He  lives  in  a  palatial  residence 
with  nine  large  rooms,  all  furnished  by  the  owner 
in  princely  style,  every  thing  but  his  linen,  and  it 
costs  only  forty  dollars  per  month  rent,  and  the  use 
of  every  thing  in  the  house,  and  a  fine  garden  and 
yard.  Here  I  saw  the  first  magnolias,  which  re- 
minded me  of  home.  I  would  prefer  living  here  to 
any  place  I  have  seen  in  Italy.  Having  once  a 
school-mate  who  resided  here,  I  learned  more  about 
it  than  other  places.  They  have  good  water,  which 
we  have  found  scarce  in  Italy.  Mountains  all  around 
almost,  and  the  clear  little  river  running  through  it 

fives   it  the   appearance   of   health   and   comfort, 
ome  of  the   streets   look  very  much  like  ours — 
stores  and  a  passing  crowd. 

This  is  market-day  with  them.  We  saw  the 
crowd  of  men,  not  women,  as  we  have  mentioned 
at  other  places.  Florence  has  been  the  capital  of 
Italy  since  1864,  until  the  recent  war,  by  which 
Italy  has  become  comparatively  free  from  popery, 
and  the  capital  is  now,  and  since  1871,  at  Rome, 
where  Victor  Emmanuel  resides.  It  ranks  with 
Rome,  Naples,  and  Venice  as  one  of  the  most  at- 
tractive towns  of  Italy.  Rome  was  in  ancient  times 
the  grand  center  of  Italian  development  —  the 
modern  metropolis  since  the  middle  ages  superseded 
it  as  the  focus  of  intellectual  activity.  The  modern 
Italian  language  has  emanated  from  Florence.  The 
fine  arts  have  here  attained  the  zenith  of  their 
glory.  It  is  situated  in  a  valley  on  both  banks  of 
the  Arno,  a  small  stream  picturesquely  inclosed 
by  the  Apennines,  about  three  thousand  feet  high. 
The  city  has  undergone  great  improvements.  As 
early  as  the  fifteenth  century  it  had  ninety  thousand ; 
now  it  has  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 


FLORENCE.  185 

It  was  founded  by  the  Romans  before  the  Christian 
era. 

The  walls  of  the  city,  like  Vienna,  have  been  re- 
cently almost  entirely  removed.  They  were  con- 
structed at  the  same  time  of  their  cathedral,  between 
1285  and  1388.  The  ancient  gates  have  been  spared. 
A  number  of  broad,  new  streets  have  been  con- 
structed on  the  site  of  the  old  fortifications.  There 
are  six  bridges  connecting  the  town.  The  city  pos- 
sesses eighty-seven  churches,  and  a  number  of 
grand  old  houses  and  palaces,  which  bear  testimony 
to  its  ancient  prestige.  The  hall,  which  has  been 
fitted  up  for  the  Italian  Parliament,  was  the  great 
hall  constructed  in  1495;  but  parliament,  king,  and 
all  have  gone  to  Rome,  whither  we  are  bound  to- 
night. So  I  leave  you  to  look  over  this  hasty 
scrawl,  as  it  is  six  o'clock — dinner-time — and  though 
I  have  dined  with  my  friend,  Colonel  Notoman, 
and  having  to  travel  till  nine  o'clock,  will  need  an- 
other meal. 

The  Colonel  and  his  lovely  daughter  are  to  take 
us  out  again  to  see  Florence  at  night;  so  that  I 
shall  close  abruptly,  as  the  waiter  says,  "Monsieur, 
dinner." 


The  Eternal  City — What  a  Memphian  saw  in  Kome — Scenes 
on  the  banks  of  the  Tiber — The  great  Cathedral — Statuary, 
paintings,  etc. 

KOME,  July  26,  1873. 

After  I  finished  my  letter  yesterday,  my  friend, 
Colonel  Notoman,  came  round  for  me  to  ride  with 
him  and  his  daughter  again.  We  took  Miss  Syl- 
vester, of  Boston,  with  us,  and  visited  the  Protest- 
ant cemetery,  to  see  tHe  new-made  grave  of  Hiram 
Powers,  who  died  here  recently.  We  also  saw 
Theodore  Parker's  grave,  who  died  here  in  1860. 
We  went  through  their  fine  park,  and  other  places. 
We  leave  Florence  at  11  P.M.  At  daylight  the  same 


186          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

beautiful  country  of  which  I  spoke  is  seen  until  we 
get  within  an  hour  or  two  of  Rome.  The  trees  now 
are  the  olive,  instead  of  mulberry,  on  which  the 

f rape-vines  run.  The  people  are  at  wrork  by  light, 
here  are  more  horses  and  cattle  here  than  any  place 
we  have  seen.  For  some  distance  we  pass  through 
a  hilly,  poor  country,  until  we  get  near  the  city, 
where  the  hills  are  covered  with  vines  and  fruit. 

The  Eternal  City. — The  long-sought  city  appears, 
but  we  see  not  St.  Peter's.  It  is  on  the  north  side 
of  the  Tiber.  Our  hotel  is  centrally  located,  near 
the  summit  of  a  hill  that  overlooks  the  entire  city. 
A  dozen  fountains  pour  out  of  a  stone  boat  within 
a  few  steps  of  us.  Rome,  unlike  any  city  we  have 
seen  in  Europe,  has  an  abundance  of  excellent  cool 
water  flowing  from  hundreds  of  fountains,  some 
very  large,  all  over  the  city.  The  streets  are  much 
wider,  and  generally  straight.  We  arrive  at  9  A.M. 
Breakfast  over  we  are  off,  some  to  one  place,  some 
to  another;  I  to  picture  galleries,  statuaries,  etc. 
Dine  at  five,  after  which  Rev.  Dr.  Speer,  two  ladies, 
and  myself,  take  a  carriage  to  visit  the  Imperial 
Gardens,  park,  and  public  buildings.  St.  Peter's, 
seen  in  the  distance,  did  not  meet  my  expectations, 
but  when  we  got  there,  and  went  inside,  it  far  sur- 
passed them.  As  I  am  going  there  to  church  to- 
morrow, I  will  say  nothing  more  of  it  now.  We 
saw  a  grand  funeral  procession  of  men  clothed  in 
black,  head  and  face  covered,  singing.  The  coffin 
was  covered,  and  carried  on  the  shoulders  of  four 
men.  We  went  to  the  Church  of  the  Cardinals, 
and  St.  Andrews,  but  did  not  go  in.  The  Pantheon ! 
We  must  see  the  interior.  It  was  near  dark,  and 
they  were  concluding  service.  There  was  a  gloomy 
grandeur  about  it  we  have  never  seen  before.  The 
streets  are  crowded  now  by  thousands  as  we  pass 
several  other  important  public  places. 

Sunday  morning,  soon  after  breakfast,  we  start 


THE  ETERNAL  CITY.  187 

with  ten  ladies  to  see  several  places  of  interest.  The 
first  is  the  temple  of  Vesper  and  Clolenda.  These, 
with  the  House  of  Kienzi,  in  the  same  vicinity, 
have  been  excavated  from  the  ruins  of  the  old  city. 
They  show  great  antiquity,  and  that  even  marble 
must  decay  or  wear  away  by  the  teeth  of  time.  We 
go  next  to  the  Protestant  burying-ground,  near  the 
JPorta  San  Paola,  adjoining  the  Pyramid  of  Calus 
Cestinus.  There  are  buried  the  poets  Shelley  and 
Keats.  I  copied  the  following  from  the  tomb  of 
Shelley:  "Percy  Bysche  Shelley,  Cor  Cordium 
Natus,  MDCCXCII,  Obit  8.  Nothing  of  him  that  doth 
fade;  out  doth  suffer  many  changes,  into  some  thing 
rich  and  strange." 

We  pass  on  through  the  ruins  of  the  city,  now 
covered  with  grape-vines  and  fruit-trees,  where  once 
millions  lived,  to  St.  Paul's  Church,  some  two  miles. 
This  church  does  not  possess  the  imposing  exterior 
of  St.  Peter's,  but  within  it  is  finer,  and  more  mod- 
ern in  its  architecture.  There  are  some  of  the  most 
splendid  paintings  here  we  have  seen  anywhere. 
"  The  Crucifixion  of  St.  Peter  with  his  head  down- 
ward;" the  "Ascension  of  Mary,  and  the  angels 
above  her;"  "The  Martyrdom  of  Stephen;"  "The 
Death  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira;"  "The  Transfigu- 
ration;" "Moses  and  Elias  Appearing,"  and  "The 
Apostles  Peter,  James,  and  John."  All  these 
were  very  impressive  scenes.  There  was  a  consid- 
erable noise  of  worship,  to  which  we  went,  and 
found  three  men  reading  aloud.  These  constituted 
all  the  worshipers  we  saw.  It  is  too  far  away  to  be 
of  much  service,  only  as  a  magnificent  work  of  art 
and  genius.  Much  might  be  said  of  it,  but  we 
hasten  on  to  the  Capitol,  which  occupies  the  square 
of  Capitoline  Hill,  the  site  of  the  ancient  capitol, 
and  contains  the  palaces,  senators,  and  magistrates 
of  Rome.  Here  we  saw  the  most  ancient  sculpture, 
obtained  from  the  ruins  of  Borne.  Many  men  re- 


188          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

nowned  in  history  are  seen  here — Julius  Cesar, 
Augustus  Cesar,  and  the  Popes  and  Emperors  of 
Rome.  Here  is  where  Brutus  performed  his  bloody 
deed,  and  this  square  is  where  he  harangued  the 
populace  after  the  assassination  so  remarkable  in 
history.  This  I  know,  but  I  do  not  that  St.  Peter 
and  St.  Paul  are  both  buried  under  the  altar  of  the 
churches  named  after  them.  They  say  a  part  of 
them  is  in  each  church.  We  go  from  here  to  St. 
Peter's  again,  and  spend  two  hours  in  this,  the 
largest  church  in  the  world.  It  stands  on  a  slight 
acclivity,  in  the  north-west  corner  of  the  city.  It  is 
built  in  the  form  of  a  Latin  cross,  the  nave  being, 
in  length,  six  hundred  and  twenty-nine  feet;  the 
transept,  four  hundred  and  forty-four;  the  east 
front  is  three  hundred  and  ni net}7- six  feet  wide,  one 
hundred  and  sixty  high;  height  of  the  dome,  four 
hundred  and  sixty-five  feet.  In  front  of  the  church 
is  a  large  piazza.  It  is  the  place  of  Nero's  Circus, 
and  where  they  say  St.  Peter  was  martyred. 

It  was  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  years  being 
built,  and  required  three  hundred  and  fifty  years  to 
complete  it.  Cost  over  fifty  million  dollars.  I  shall 
attempt  no  description  of  it  now.  There  are  eight 
acres  of  ground  covered  by  it.  I  observed  confes- 
sionals all  about,  and  at  one  place  counted  seventy 
persons  said  to  be  waiting  their  turn.  The  subter- 
ranean church  contains  many  tombs  of  popes,  em- 
perors, and  kings,  including  the  Stuarts. 

There  are  some  of  the  imposing  ceremonies  that 
have  been  regularly  performed  here  that  are  now 
prohibited  by  Victor  Emmanuel.  He  having  taken 
possession  of  the  city  now  nearly  three  years,  is 
showing  the  people  that  he  is  their  king,  and  not 
the  pope.  At  Christmas,  Easter,  and  on  the  festival 
of  Sts.  Peter  and  Paul  (June  28th),  the  pope  used  to 
celebrate  high-mass  here  in  person.  "The  papal 
regime,  illuminated  in  the  evening  by  four  thousand 


ROME.  189 

four  hundred  lamps,  throwing  the  lines  of  the  archi- 
tecture into  singularly  prominent  relief,  and  one 
and  a  quarter  hours  after  sunset  this  illumination 
was  changed  by  four  hundred  workmen  for  a  blaze 
of  torch-light.  This  remarkable  spectacle,  however, 
will  probably  never  again  be  witnessed."  This 
is  one  of  the  things  prohibited  by  Victor  Em- 
manuel. 

The  pope  has  not  come  out  of  the  Vatican  since 
the  occupation  of  the  city  by  the  Italian  troops,  on 
the  20th  of  September,  1870. 

After  dinner  we  have  service  in  the  parlor  of  our 
hotel,  after  which  I  go  with  a  friend  up  to  the  Royal 
Gardens  and  Park,  where  a  fine  view  of  the  city 
and  surroundings  is  obtained.  Here  we  have  a  fine 
Italian  sunset.  Soon  after  we  return  the  Walden- 
sean  minister  calls  to  see  Dr.  Speer  and  myself,  and 
we  go  with  him  to  his  church  service,  which  is 
much  like  the  Presbyterian  service.  We  return  to 
hear  Professor  Wood,  our  archaeologist,  lecture  over 
an  hour  on  what  he  is  to  show  us  to-morrow  of  the 
antiquities  of  Rome. 


July  28,  1873. 

Sketch  of  Rome. — Rome,  the  capital  of  the  king- 
dom of  Italy,  the  city  of  the  popes,  and  once  of  the 
Cesars,  is  on  the  Tiber,  partly  on  a  plain  and  partly 
on  low  hills,  with  their  valleys,  about  sixteen  miles 
from  the  mouth 'of  the  river.  The  walls,  fifteen 
miles  in  circuit,  surround  the  entire  city.  It  is 
passed  by  open  gates,  with  large  arches  turned  over 
them.  They  are  built  up  with  flat  brick  about  one 
and  a  half  inches  thick,  with  mortar  about  as  thick 
between  them.  Stones  of  all  sizes  seem  to  be 
worked  in  the  wall.  The  modern  city  is  built  to 
the  north  of  the  seven  hills  which  formed  the  ancient 
city  of  Rome.  Four  of  these  hills,  once  the  scene 


190          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

of  so  many  exciting  events,  are  now  almost  entirely 
deserted,  or  covered  by  gardens,  vineyards,  or 
broken  buildings,  or  ruins.  It  is  said  to  be  the  best 
watered  city  in  the  world.  Present  population,  two 
hundred  and  twenty-five  thousand.  The  walls  have 
an  average  height  of  fifty  feet.  There  are  twelve 
gates  by  which  to  enter  it.  The  Arch  of  Titus, 
built  on  his  return  from  his  war  against  the  Jews, 
continued  and  dedicated  by  his  son,  A.D.  80.  It 
was  calculated  to  hold  from  eighty  thousand  to  one 
hundred  thousand  people,  to  witness  the  gladiators' 
and  wild-beast  combats.  At  its  inauguration  five 
thousand  wild-beasts  and  ten  thousand  captives 
were  slain.  The  early  Christians  stained  it  with 
their  blood.  By  far  the  greater  portion  of  the  area 
inclosed  by  the  walls  inhabited  during  the  Imperial 
period  by  two  millions,  is  now  uninhabited.  The 
once  densely  populated  streets  are  now  the  bleak 
walls  of  vineyards.  The  modern  city  is  divided  by 
the  River  Tiber,  spanned  by  five  bridges. 

According  to  the  census  of  1867,  there  were  six 
thousand  two  hundred  and  sixty-seven  clergymen, 
four  thousand  nine  hundred  and  forty-five  nuns, 
four  thousand  six  hundred  and  fifty  Jews,  four 
hundred  and  fifty-seven  Protestants,  seven  thousand 
three  hundred  and  sixty  soldiers.  We  have  been 
six  hours  to-day  with  Professor  "Wood  explaining 
ancient  Rome.  I  have  taken  extensive  notes,  but 
shall  not  give  a  synopsis  of  them  now.  We  go  out 
again  this  afternoon  to  see  several  places,  among 
them  the  prison  in  which  St.  Paul  was  confined  for 
two  years  before  his  martyrdom. 

This  is  a  wonderful  city,  the  one  that  has  been, 
and  is  now  being  excavated,  more  so  than  the  one 
on  the  surface.  We  saw  one  of  the  modern  palaces 
to-day,  only  three  or  four  hundred  years  old,  filled 
with  antiquities  from  the  excavations  made  by 
Louis  Napoleon. 


ROME.  191 

I  mentioned  in  one  of  my  letters  from  Rome  that 
I  had  taken  memoranda  of  which  I  had  not  time  to 
write.  As  these  letters  may  be  published  in  a  more 
permanent  form,  I  am  inclined  to  write  something 
more  about  this  most  interesting  city  in  the  world. 

So  many  objects  of  interest  present  themselves  to 
the  traveler  that  he  scarcely  knows  which  has  the 
strongest  claims  to  his  attention.  I  will,  from  my 
notes,  and  "  Walks  in  Rome,  by  Augustus  II.  Hare," 
with  your  permission,  give  the  readers  of  the  Ava- 
lanche something  more  relative  to  this  ancient  and 
renowned  City  of  the  Cesars. 

From  my  boyhood  I  have  desired  to  see  this 
great  city,  which  for  so  many  centuries  controlled 
the  destinies  of  the  civilized  world.  My  feelings 
on  arriving  there  were  different  from  any  other  city 
we  had  visited.  I  could  scarcely  realize  that  I  was 
in  the  " Eternal  City,"  when  I  found  at  the  railroad 
station  a  crowd  of  hackmen,  porters,  etc.,  and  car- 
riages awaiting  our  arrival.  I  expected  to  see  St. 
Peter's  rising  above  the  horizon  in  stately  grandeur, 
but  it  was  within  the  horizon,  and  was  so  much  less 
conspicuous  from  the  nature  of  the  ground  it  occu- 
pies on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Tiber.  In  front 
rise  the  Alban  hills,  the  white  villas  on  their  sides 
distinctly  visible  for  more  than  thirty  miles.  On 
the  left  were  the  Apennines,  and  Tivoli  was  dis- 
tinctly seen  on  the  summit  of  its  mountain.  We 
had  a  good  hotel,  in  the  best  part  of  the  city,  to  see 
most  of  its  wonders.  A  stranger's  first  lesson  to 
learn  in  a  European  city  is  its  geography.  Having 
our  own  experienced  conductor,  Mr.  Flaggy,  and 
Professor  Wood  for  guide  and  lecturer,  we  lost  but 
little  time  in  that  study,  but  proceeded  soon  after 
our  arrival  to  see  the  city,  which  for  ages  has  been 
the  capital  of  the  Catholic  world.  Monks  have 
come  hither  to  obtain  the  foundation  of  their  or- 
ders, priests  and  bishops  from  distant  lands  coming 


192         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

here  to  receive  the  highest  dignity  which  Christen- 
dom could  confer.  And  kings  and  emperors  have 
come  here  to  ask  coronation  at  the  hands  of  the 
reigning  pontiff;  but  we  came  as  the  ''Italian  sec- 
tion" of  "the  Educational  party,"  to* learn  all  we 
could  in  the  allotted  time  of  this  city,  which  has  been 
daguerreotyped  upon  our  minds  from  childhood's 
days.  There  was  one  remarkable  personage  whose 
visit  to  Rome  is  worthy  of  reference  in  this  connec- 
tion. It  was  Martin  Luther,  a  young  monk,  ob- 
scure and  fervent,  little  dreaming  that  ten  years 
later  he  would  burn  the  bull  of  the  pope  in  the 
public  square  of  Wittenberg.  His  heart  experienced 
nothing  but  pious  emotions.  He  addressed  to 
Rome,  in  salutations,  the  ancient  hymn  of  the  Pil- 
grims. He  cried,  "I  salute  thee,  0  holy  Rome, 
venerable  through  the  blood  and  tombs  of  the 
martyrs."  But  after  prostrating  on  the  threshold, 
he  raised  himself,  and  he  entered  into  the  temple, 
but  he  did  not  find  the  God  he  had  looked  for 
in  the  city  of  the  saints  and  martyrs;  it  was  a  city 
of  murderers  and  prostitutes.  The  arts  which 
marked  this  corruption  were  powerless  over  the 
stolid  senses,  and  scandalized  the  austere  spirit  of 
the  German  monk.  He  scarcely  gave  a  passing 
glance  at  pagan  Rome,  and,  inwardly  horrified  by 
all  that  he  saw,  he  quitted  Rome  in  a  frame  of  mind 
very  different  from  that  which  he  brought  with  him. 
He  went  there  with  the  devotion  of  the  pilgrims, 
now  he  returned  in  a  disposition  like  that  which 
characterized  his  future  history.  This  Rome,  of 
which  he  had  been  the  dupe,  and  concerning  which 
he  had  been  disabused,  should  hear  from  him  again. 
The  day  would  come  when  amid  the  many  toasts  at 
his  table  he  would  cry  three  times:  "I  would  not 
have  missed  going  to  Rome  for  a  thousand  florins, 
for  I  should  always  have  been  uneasy  lest  I  should 
have  been  rendering  injustice  to  the  pope." 


ROME.  193 

$"o  such  feeling  as  this  existed  among  our  party. 
We  had  no  salutation  to  offer  his  holiness,  or  pros- 
tration on  the  threshold,  but,  like  anxious  inquirers, 
desiring  to  see  all  we  could  of  pagan  as  well  as 
Christian  Rome. 

We  honor  this  city  for  many  reasons — her  great- 
ness, her  beauty,  her  power,  her  wealth,  her  warlike 
exploits ;  yet,  over  and  above  all  these  things,  on 
this  account,  that  St.  Paul  in  his  life-time  wrote  to 
the  Romans  before  he  was  permitted  to  visit  them. 
(Thfe  fore  part  of  this  epistle  I  read  and  commented 
upon  the  Sabbath  we  spent  in  the  city).  Here  he 
afterward  lived  and  labored  for  "two  whole  years 
in  his  own  hired  house,  and  received  all  that  came 
unto  him,  preaching  the  kingdom  of  God,  and 
teaching  those  things  which  concern  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  with  all  confidence,  no  man  forbidding  him." 
— See  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  xxviii.  30,  31. 

In  the  Church  of  St.  Maria  they  still  have  a  little 
chapel  in  which,  as  hath  been  handed  down  from 
the  first  ages,  St.  Luke,  the  Evangelist,  wrote,  and 
painted  the  effigy  of  the  Virgin.  The  subterranean 
church  is  shown  as  the  actual  house  in  which  St. 
Paul  lodged  when  he  was  in  Rome.  I  felt  much 
interest  in  this  place  because  of  its  associations,  and 
may  refer  to  it  before  I  close  these  sketches. 

The  most  matured  period  of  St.  Paul's  Christian 
life  detained  him  a  close  prisoner  in  the  imperial 
city.  It  was  from  within  the  walls  of  a  prison  that 
St.  Paul  indicted  the  Epistles  to  the  Ephesians, 
Philippians,  Colossians,  and  Hebrews.  It  was  here 
that  he  converted  the  slave  Onesimus,  and  wrote  the 
Epistle  to  Philemon,  his  master.  Of  all  the  disci- 
ples now  ministering  to  St.  Paul,  none  has  a  greater 
interest  than  the  fugitive  slave  Onesimus.  He  be- 
longed to  a  Christian  named  Philemon,  a  member 
of  the  Colossian  Church,  but  he  had  robbed  his 
master  and  fled  from  Colosse,  and  at  last  found  Jris 
9 


194          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

way  to  Rome:  Here  he  was  converted  to  Chris- 
tianity, and  had  confessed  to  St.  Paul  his  sins  against 
his  master.  There  is  in  this  crypt  a  fountain  shown 
as  having  miraculously  sprung  up  in  answer  to  the 
prayers  of  St.  Paul,  that  he  might  have  wherewith 
to  baptize  his  disciples.  The  fountain  is  there  at 
present,  and  doubtless  has  been  for  ages,  but  as  to 
how  it  came  there,  no  one  knows  whether  nature  or 
art  produced  it. 

We  find  him  during  this  Roman  imprisonment 
surrounded  by  many  of  his  oldest  and  most  valued 
attendants.  Luke,  his  fellow-traveler,  remained 
with  him  during  his  bondage.  Timotheus,  his  be- 
loved son  in  the  faith,  ministered  to  him  in  Rome, 
as  he  had  done  in  Asia,  Macedonia,  and  in  Achaia. 
Tychicus,  who  had  formerly  borne  him  company 
from  Corinth  to  Ephesus,  is  now  at  hand  to  carry 
his  letters  to  the  shores  which  they  had  visited 
together. 

All  these  associations  clustering  in  and  around 
this  city  give  an  intensity  of  interest  to  it  more 
than  any  other  in  the  world. 

Capitol  statues — Hall  of  emperors — Hall  of  illustrious  men — 
Historic  prison. 

The  first  object  of  interest  to  the  traveler  on  ar- 
riving at  Rome  is  the  Capitol.  To  this  place  we 
went,  with  a  number  of  our  party,  the  first  morn- 
ing. From  this  place  we  look  down  upon  ancient 
Rome.  Capitoline  was  the  hill  of  the  kings  and 
the  republic,  as  the  Palatine  was  of  the  empire. 
Composed  of  tufa,  its  sides,  now  concealed  by 
buildings,  or  by  the  accumulated  rubbish  of  ages, 
were  abrupt  and  precipitous,  as  are  still  the  sides  of 
the  neighboring  citadels. 

When  Romulus  had  fixed  his  settlement  upon  the 
Palatine  he  opened  an  asylum  for  fugitive  slaves 
upon  the  then  deserted  Saturnus,  and  here,  at  a  sa- 


CAPITOL  STATUES.  195 

cred  oak,  he  is  said  to  have  offered  up  the  spoils  of 
the  Calcinenses,  and  their  king,  Acron,  who  had 
made  a  war  of  reprisal  upon  him  for  the  manner  in 
which  he  treated  their  women.  Here,  also,  he 
vowed  to  build  a  temple  to  Jupiter,  where  sports 
should  always  be  offered.  But  in  the  meantime  the 
Sabines,  under  Titus  Tatius,  besieged  and  took  the 
hill,  having  a  gate  of  its  fortress  opened  to  them. 
After  the  death  of  Tatius,  the  Capitoline  hill  again 
fejl  under  the  government  of  Romulus  and  his  suc- 
cessor. The  Temple  of  Jupiter  occupied  a  lofty 
platform,  the  summit  of  the  rock  being  leveled  to 
receive  it.  Its  facade  was  decorated  with  three 
ranges  of  columns,  and  its  sides  by  a  single  'colon- 
nade. It  was  nearly  square,  being  two  hundred  Ro- 
man feet  in  length,  and  one  hundred  and  eighty-live 
in  width.  The  interior  was  divided  into  three  cells. 
The  figure  of  Jupiter  occupied  that  of  the  center, 
Minerva  was  on  his  right,  and  Juno  on  his  left. 

Close  beside  this  queen  of  Roman  temples  stood 
the  Temple  of  Fides,  said  to  have  been  founded  by 
Numa,  where  the  senate  were  assembled  at  the  time 
of  the  murder  of  Tiberius  Gracchus,  B.C.  133,  who 
fell  in  front  of  the  Temple  of  Jupiter,  at  the  foot 
of  the  statues  of  the  kings,  his  blood  being  the 
first  spilled  in  Rome  in  a  civil  war.  Near  this,  also, 
was  the  twin  temples  of  Mars  and  Venus.  Two 
cliffs  are  now  claimants  to  be  considered  as  the 
"Tarpean  Rock,"  but  it  is  most  probable  that  the 
whole  of  the  hill  on  this  side  of  the  Intermontium 
was  Mons  Tarpeia.  Thus  we  see  that  in  this  vicin- 
ity there  are  quite  a  number  of  interesting  objects 
connected  with  and  forming  a  part  of  Roman  his- 
tory. It  is  natural  for  sight- seers  to  visit  this 
locality  first,  as  possessing  in  some  respects  peculiar 
interest  in  this  city  of  wonders.  We  passed  through 
the  buildings,  ascending  the  stone  stairways  to  be- 
hold on  each  floor  many  things  which  caused  our 


196          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

minds  to  recur  to  the  past  history  of  this  remark- 
able people. 

Among  the  Statues. — At  the  head  of  the  stairs  are 
colossal  statues  of  the  twin  heroes,  Castor  and  Pol- 
lux (brought  hither  from  the  Ghetto),  commemor- 
ating the  victory  of  the  Lake  Regillus,  after  which 
they  rode  before  the  army  of  Rome  to  announce 
the  joyful  news,  watered  their  horses  at  the  Aqua 
Argentina,  and  then  passed  away  from  the  gaze  of 
the  multitude.  ^ 

Next  comes  the  statue  dP1  Constantine  the  Great, 
and  his  son,  Constantine  II.  We  now  tind  our- 
selves in  the  Plazzo  del  Campideglia,  where  Brutus 
harangued  the  people  after  the  murder  of  Julius 
Cesar.  The  tower  of  the  Capitol  contains  the  bell 
Viterbo,  carried  off  from  the  town  during  the  wars 
of  the  middle  ages,  which  is  never  rung  except  to 
announce  the  death  of  a  pope,  or  the  opening  of 
the  carnival.  Victor  Emmanuel,  I  presume,  will 
stop  that,  as  he  has  done  some  other  things  in  con- 
nection with  his  holiness.  A  gallery  in  the  interior 
of  the  Tabularium  has  been  fitted  up  as  a  museum 
of  architectural  antiquities  collected  from  the  neigh- 
boring temples.  This  building  is,  as  it  were,  the 
boundary  between  inhabited  Rome  and  that  Rome 
which  is  a  city  in  ruins. 

The  Hall  of  the  Emperors. — In  the  center  is  the 
beautiful  sealed  statue  of  Agrippina,  grand-daughter 
of  Augustus;  round  the  rooms  are  ranged  eighty- 
three  busts  of  Roman  emperors  and  their  near  rel- 
atives, forming,  perhaps,  the  most  interesting  portrait- 
gallery  in  the  world.  Even  viewed  as  works  of  art, 
many  of  them  are  of  the  utmost  importance.  I 
was  much  interested  in  Julius  Cesar,  Augustus,  Tibe- 
rius, Agrippa,  and  Constantine.  There  also  was 
Nero,  and  Julian  the  Apostate,  who  have  such  un- 
enviable immortality. 

The  Hall  of  Illustrious  Men. — Here  are  Socrates, 


HALL  OF  ILLUSTRIOUS  MEN.  197 

Ari slides  the  orator,  Seneca,  Marcus,  Agrippa, 
Homer,  Scipio  Africanus,  Cato,  Miner,  Cicero, 
and  many  others  who  live  in  the  history  of  the  past. 

On  the  first  and  second  landings  are  magnificent 
reliefs,  representing  events  in  the  life  of  Marcus 
Aurelius  Imp.,  belonging  to  the  arch  dedicated  to 
him. 

The  halls  of  the  conservators  consist  of  eight 
rooms,  the  first  painted  in  fresco,  from  the  history 
of  the  Roman  kings;  the  second  room  adorned 
with  subjects  from  republican  history,  and  statues 
of  modern  Roman  generals;  the  third  with  subjects 
from  the  wars,  and  contains  the  famous  bronze  wolf 
of  the  Capitol.  One  of  the  most  interesting  relics 
of  the  city,  forming  a  part  of  the  decorations  of 
this  room,  are  the  five  pictures  of  a  dead  Christ, 
with  a  monk  praying.  The  seventh  room  contains 
a  history  of  the  Punic  wars.  The  eighth  room  is  a 
chapel,  containing  a  lovely  face  of  the  Madonna, 
and  a  child  with  angels;  also  the  four  evangelists. 

A  Historic  Prison. — The  north-eastern  height, 
once  the  site  of  the  most  interesting  pagan  temples, 
is  now  occupied  by  one  of  the  most  interesting  of 
Christian  churches. 

Descending  from  the  Capitoline  piazza  toward 
the  forum  of  the  staircase  on  the  left  of  the  palace 
of  the  senate,  close  to  the  foot  of  this  staircase,  is  a 
church,  very  obscure-looking,  with  some  rude  fres- 
coes on  the  exterior.  Here  are  the  famous  adaman- 
tine prisons,  excavated  from  the  solid  rock  under 
the  Capitol.  The  prisons  are  entered  through  the 
low  Church  of  St.  Pietro,  in  Carcere,  hung  around 
with  votive  offerings  and  blazing  lamps.  Here  St. 
Paul  is  said  to  have  been  bound  for  nine  months  to 
a  pillar,  which  is  shown  to  visitors.  "We  know 
nothing  of  this.  It  may  or  may  not  be  sq.  Yet 
this,  with  many  other  things,  are  told  here,  and 
seem  to  be  believed  by  the  people. 


198          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

I  could  write  much  more  of  this  deeply  interest- 
ing locality,  but  I  am  admonished  to  be  brief. 

Palaces  of  Augustus,  Palatine,  Nero — Church  of  St.  Clement. 

The  Palatine  is  formed  of  a  trapezium  of  solid 
rock,  two  sides  of  which  were  about  three  hundred 
yards  in  length,  the  others  about  four  hundred. 
This  building  was  the  foundation-stone  of  the  Pal- 
ace of  the  Cesars,  which  in  time  over-run  the  white 
hill,  and  under  Nero  two  of  the  neighboring  hills 
besides.  These  ruins  have  been  ascertained  and 
recognized.  It  has  only  been  within  the  last  ten  or 
twelve  years  a  few  broken,  nameless  walls  were  vis- 
ible above  ground. 

Napoleon  III.,  in  1861,  purchased  it  for  fifty 
thousand  dollars.  Up  to  that  time  this  part  of  Pal- 
atine was  a  vast  kitchen-garden,  broken  here  and 
there  by  picturesque  groups  of  trees,  and  fragments 
of  broken  walls.  Since  1861  extensive  excavations 
have  been  carried  on,  which  have  resulted  in  the 
discovery  of  the  palaces  of  some  of  the  earlier  em- 
perors, and  the  substructures  of  several  temples. 

The  Palace  of  Augustus  increased  in  size  until 
the  whole  valley  was  blocked  up  by  it,  and  the  end 
of  its  roof  became  level  with  the  hill-sides.  Before 
the  entrance  of  the  palace  it  was  ordained  by  the 
senate,  B.C.  26,  that  two  bay-trees  should  be  planted 
in  remembrance  of  the  citizens  he  had  preserved, 
while  an  oak-wreath  was  placed  above  the  gate  to 
commemorate  his  victories.  Upon  the  top  of  this 
building,  Augustus  Vespasian  built  his  palace, 
A.D.  70,  not  only  using  the  walls  of  the  older  palace 
as  a  support  for  his  own,  but  filling  the  chambers 
of  the  earlier  building  entirely  up  with  earth,  so 
that  they  became  a  solid,  massive  foundation. 

The  ruins  which  we  visit  are,  for  the  most  part, 
those  of  the  Palace  of  Vespasian,  but  from  one  of 


THE  PALACE  OF  VESPASIAN,  ETC.  199 

its  bills  we  can  descend  into  rooms  underneath,  ex- 
cavated from  the  Palace  of  Augustus. 

The  Palace  of  Palatine  is  not  the  palace  where 
the  emperors  generally  lived.  They  resided  at  their 
villas,  and  came  into  the  city  to  the  Palace  of  the 
Cesars  for  the  transaction  of  public  business.  They 
made  use  of  the  subterranean  passage  which  ran 
round  the  whole  building  to  prevent  the  annoyance 
of  the  crowd  until  they  appeared  in  public  to  receive 
the  morning  salutation  of  the  people.  The  name 
'''Basilica"  means  "king's  house."  It  was  the 
ancient  law  court.  It  usually  had  a  portico,  was 
oblong  in  form,  and  ended  in  an  apex  for  ornament. 
The  Christians  adopted  it  for  their  places  of  worship 
because  it  was  the  largest  type  of  building  then 
known.  ISTero,  after  the  example  of  Augustus, 
heard  criminal  causes  in  the  Imperial  Palace,  whose 
ruins  still  crown  the  Palatine.  Here,  at  one  end  of 
the  splendid  hall,  lined  with  the  precious  marbles 
of  Egypt,  we  must  imagine  Cesar  seated  in  the 
midst  of  the  assessors.  These  counsellors,  twenty 
in  number,  were  men  of  the  highest  rank  and 
greatest  influence.  Among  them  were  the  two 
consuls,  and  representatives  of  the  other  great  mag- 
istrates of  Rome.  The  remainder  consisted  of 
senators  chosen  by  lot.  Over  this  distinguished 
bench  of  judges  presided  the  representatives  of  the 
most  powerful  monarchy  which  has  ever  existed — 
the  absolute  ruler  of  the  whole  world. 

Before  the  tribunal  of  the  blood-stained  Nero  St. 
Paul  was  brought  in  fetters,  under  the  custody  of 
his  military  guard.  The  prosecutors  and  their  wit- 
nesses were  called  forward  to  support  their  accusa- 
tion. The  subject  matter  for  decision  was  the 
written  depositions  forwarded  from  Judea  by  Festus ; 
yet  the  Roman  law  required  the  personal  presence 
of  the  accusers  and  witnesses  whenever  they  could 
be  obtained.  He  was  accused  of  disturbing  the 


200          A  MEMPHIAN'S^  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Jews  in  the  exercise  of  their  worship,  which  was 
secured  to  them  by  law;  of  desecrating  their  tem- 
ple, and  above  all  of  violating  the  public  peace  of 
the  empire  by  perpetual  agitation  as  the  ring-leader 
of  a  new  and  factious  sect.  The  charge  was  the 
most  serious  in  the  view  of  a  Roman  statesman,  for 
the  crime  alleged  was  treason  against  the  Common- 
wealth, and  was  punishable  with  death.  These 
accusations  were  supported  by  the  enemies  of  the 
Sanhedrim,  and  probably  by  witnesses  from  Judea, 
Ephesns,  Corinth,  and  other  places  of  Paul's  activ- 
ity. When  the  parties  on  both  sides  had  been 
heard,  and  the  witnesses  all  examined,  the  judgment 
of  the  court  was  taken.  Each  of  the  assessors  gave 
his  opinion  in  writing  to  the  emperor,  who  never 
discussed  the  judgment  with  his  assessors;  but, 
after  reading  their  opinion,  gave  sentence  according 
to  his  own  pleasure,  without  reference  to  the  judg- 
ment of  the  majority.  On  this  occasion  it  might 
have  been  expected  that  he  would  have  pronounced 
the  sentence  of  condemnation  against  the  accused, 
but  the  trial  resulted  in  the  acquittal  of  St.  Paul. 
He  was  pronounced  guiltless  of  the  charges  brought 
against  him,  his  fetters  were  struck  off,  and  he  was 
liberated  from  his  long  captivity. 

History  has  few  stronger  contrasts  than  when  it 
shows  St.  Paul  preaching  under  the  walls  of  Nero's 
palace.  Thenceforward  there  was  to  be  but  two 
religions  in  the  Roman  world — the  worship  of  the 
emperor  and  the  worship  of  the  Saviour.  The  old 
superstitions  had  long  been  worn  out — tljey  had 
lost  all  their  influence  on  educated  minds. 

Over  against  the  altars  of  Nero  the  voice  of  St. 
Paul  was  daily  heard,  and  daily  woke  in  groveling 
souls  the  consciousness  of  their  divine  destiny. 
Men  listened,  and  knew  that  if  sacrifice  was  better 
than  ease,  humiliation  more  exalted  than  pride,  to 
suffer  was  nobler  than  to  reign.  They  felt  that  the 


CHURCH  OF  ST.  CLEMENT.  201 

only  religion  that  satisfied  the  needs  of  men  was  the 
religion  of  the  cross,  in  which  he  gloried. 

The  close  of  the  Epistle  to  the  Ephesians  is  a  re- 
markable example  of  forcible  imagery.  Considered 
simply  in  itself,  the  description  of  the  Christian's 
armor  is  one  of  the  most  striking  passages  in  the 
sacred  volume.  But  if  we  view  it  in  connection 
with  the  circumstances  with  which  the  apostle  was 
surrounded,  we  find  a  new  and  living  emphasis  in 
his  enumerations  of  all  the  parts  of  the  heavenly 
panoply.  All  this  imagery  becomes  doubly  forcible 
if  we  remember  that  when  St.  Paul  wrote  these 
words  he  was  chained  to  a  soldier,  and  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  Roman  legions.  The  appearance  of  the 
guards  was  daily  familiar  to  him  in  his  chains.  On 
the  other  hand,  so  he  tells  us  in  the  preceding 
epistle,  the  soldier  to  whom  he  was  chained  to-day 
might  have  been  Nero's  body-guard  yesterday. 
The  comrade  who  next  relieved  him  might  have 
been  one  of  the  executioners  of  Octavia,  and  might 
have  carried  her  head  to  Pophala  a  few  weeks  before. 
Such  imaginings  would  naturally  pass  through  the 
mind  while  viewing  these  ruins  where  we  know 
this  eminent  apostle  to  the  Gentiles  preached,  suf- 
fered, and  died  for  his  religion.  While  I  have 
my  doubts  in  regard  to  many  things  that  I  heard 
while  in  Rome,  yet  there  are  some  things  mentioned 
in  sacred  as  well  as  profane  history,  the  truth  of 
which  I  could  not  question.  This  was  one  of  them. 

The  Church  of  St.  Clement  is  one  of  deep  inter- 
est. It  is  under  the  ground,  beneath  the  present 
church,  and  below  this  is  the  house  of  Clement,  to 
which  recent  excavations  and  discoveries  have  given 
an  extraordinary  interest.  The  upper  church,  in 
spite  of  modernizations,  under  Clement  XL,  in  the 
last  century,  retains  more  of  the  details  belonging 
to  primitive  ecclesiastical  architecture  than  any 
other  building  in  Rome.  It  was  consecrated  in 


202          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

•*•• 

memory  of  Clement,  the  fellow-laborer  of  St.  Paul, 
and  the  third  Bishop  of  Rome,  upon  the  site  of  his 
family  house,  where  St.  Paul  dwelt  with  liim.  In 
the  primitive  church  every  thing  remains  in  static 
quo,  the  court,  the  portico,  the  cancelum,  paschal 
candlestick,  virgin.  This  was  to  me  one  of  the 
most  interesting  places  I  visited  in  this  once  "  impe- 
rial city."  I  gathered  some  relics  from  there  with 
more  interest  than  from  any  other  place  I  visited  in 
Europe.  From  the  sacristy  a  staircase  leads  to  the 
lower  church,  first  discovered  in  1857.  Here  there 
are  several  pillars  of  the  rarest  marbles  in  perfect 
preservation,  and  a  very  curious  series  of  frescoes 
of  the  eighth  and  ninth  centuries,  part  of  which 
are  still  clear,  and  almost  uninjured.  These  include 
the  crucifixion,  with  the  Virgin  and  St.  John  stand- 
ing by  the  cross,  the  earliest  example  in  Eome  of 
this  well-known  subject.  "  The  Ascension,"  some- 
times called  by  Rcmianists  the  Assumption  of  the 
Virgin,  because  the  figure  of  the  Virgin  is  elevated 
above  the  apostles,  though  she  is  intent  on  watch- 
ing the  retreating  figure  of  her  divine  Son.  In  this 
fresco  the  figure  of  a  pope  is  introduced,  showing 
that  it  was  painted  in  his  life-time.  Quite  a  number 
of  inscriptions  are  found  on  the  walls.,  of  much  in- 
terest to  the  antiquary,  in  consequence  of  its  being 
where  St.  Paul  resided,  and  where  Christians  wor- 
shiped in  the  early  history  of  the  Church  of  Rome, 
to  whom  St.  Paul  wrote  and  preached. 

The  Forums  and  the  Coliseum. 

Following  the  Corso  to  its  end  and  turning  to 
the  left,  we  are  at  once  amid  the  remains  of  the 
Forum  of  Trajan,  erected  for  the  emperor  on  his 
return  from  the  wars  of  the  Danube.  The  Forum  now 
presents  the  appearance  of  a  ruin  between  the  Cap- 
itoline  and  the  Quirinal,  but  is  an  artificial  hollow 
excavated  to  facilitate  the  circulation  of  life  in  the 


THE  FORUMS  AND  THE  COLISEUM.         203 

city.  The  earth  was  formerly  as  high  as  the  top  of 
the  column,  which  reached  one  hundred  Koman 
feet,  to  the  level  of  the  Palatine  hill. 

All  over  the  surface  of  what  was  once  Rome 
seems  to  be  the  effort  of  time  to  bury  up  the  ancient 
city,  so  that  in  eighteen  centuries  the  soil  over  its 
grave  has  grown  very  deep.  This  was  the  fate  of 
Trajan's  Forum  until  some  antiquary  a  few  hundred 
years  ago  began  to  hollow  it  out  again,  and  discov- 
ered the  whole  height  of  the  gigantic  column, 
wreathed  round  with  bas-relief  of  the  old  emperor's 
warlike  deeds. 

The  Temple  of  Mars  stands  at  the  north-east  cor- 
ner of  the  magnificent  Forum  of  Augustus,  sur- 
passing in  size  the  Forum  of  Julius  Cesar,  to  which 
it  was  adjoining.  It  was  of  sufficient  size  to  be 
frequently  used  for  fights  of  animals.  Among  its 
ornaments  were  statues  of  Augustus,  and  of  Au- 
gustus's triumphal  car  and  the  subdued  princes,  with 
inscriptions  illustrative  of  the  great  deeds  he  had 
accomplished  there. 

Returning  a  short  distance,  we  traverse,  the  site 
of  the  Forum  of  Julius  Cesar,  upon  which  eight 
hundred  thousand  pounds  sterling  were  expended. 
The  interest  of  Rome  comes  to  its  climax  in  the 
Forum.  In  spite  of  all  that  is  destroyed  and  all 
that  is  buried,  much  still  remains  which  a  trav- 
eler interested  in  history  will  find  all  but  inex- 
haustible and  after  the  lapse  of  centuries  the  dif- 
ferent sites  seem  now  to  be  verified  with  tolerable 
certainty.  The  study  of  the  Roman  Forum  is  com- 
plicated by  a  succession  of  public  edifices  by  which 
it  has  been  occupied ;  each  period  of  Roman  history 
having  a  different  set  of  buildings,  and  each  in  a 
great  measure  supplanting  those  which  went  before. 
Before  leaving  the  Forum  we  visited  the  interesting 
group  of  churches  in  the  vicinity,  which  have  sprung 
up  amid  its  ruins.  Almost  opposite  the  Mamertine 


204  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

prisons,  surmounted  by  a  handsome  dome,  is  the 
Church  of  St.  Martina,  which  contains  the  original 
model  bequeathed  by  the  sculptor  Thorwaldsen,  of 
his  Copenhagen  statue  of  Christ  in  the  act  of  bene- 
diction. The  subterranean  church  beneath  this 
building  is  well  worth  visiting.  The  Church  of  St. 
Cosmo  was  founded  within  the  ancient  temple,  by 
Pope  Felix  IV.,  in  527.  The  ancient  church  was 
divided  in  half  by  the  vaulting,  which  now  divides 
the  upper  and  lower  churches.  To  visit  this  lower 
church  a  monk  must  be  summoned,  who  brings  a 
torch  by  which  it  can  be  seen.  It  is  of  great  size, 
and  contains  a  curious  well,  into  which  Christian 
martyrs  in  the  time  of  Nero  are  said  to  have  been 
precipitated.  The  third  and  lowest  church  (the 
original  crypt)  is  said  to  have  been  a  place  of  refuge 
during  the  early  Christian  persecutions.  A  passage 
which  formerly  led  from  hence  to  the  catacombs  of 
St.  Sebastian  was  walled  up  twenty  years  ago  by 
the  paternal  government  because  twenty  persons 
were  lost  in  it.  Deserving  the  most  minute  atten- 
tion is  the  grand  mosaic  of  Christ  corning  in  the 
clouds  of  sunset.  Near  the  Church  of  St.  Francisca 
the  Via  Sacra  passes  under  the  Arch  of  Titus,  which 
even  in  its  restored  condition  is  the  most  beautiful 
monument  of  the  kind  in  Rome.  Its  Christian  in- 
terest is  unrivaled,  from  its  having  been  erected  by 
the  senate  to  commemorate  the  taking  of  Jerusalem, 
and  from  its  bas-reliefs  of  the  seven-branched 
candlestick,  and  other  treasures  of  the  Jewish  tem- 
ple. Standing  beneath  the  Arch  of  Titus,  and 
amid  so  many  ancient  associations,  it  is  difficult  to 
forbear  the  commonplaces  of  enthusiasm  on  which 
tourists  have  insisted.  Over  the  half-worn  pavement 
and  beneath  this  arch  the  Roman  armieshave  trodden 
in  their  outward  march  to  fight  battles  far,  far  away; 
returning  victorious,  with  royal  captives  and  inesti- 
mable spoil  of  Roman  triumph,  that  most  gorgeous 


THE  FORUMS  AND  THE  COLISEUM.          205 

pageant  of  earthly  pride  has  streamed  and  flaunted 
in  hundred- fold  succession  over  the  flagstones  and 
under  this  archway — the  street  which  led  from  the 
southern  gate  of  Home  to  the  Capitol,  and  by  which 
the  victorious  generals  passed  in  their  triumphal 
processions  to  the  Temple  of  Jupiter.  Between  the 
Arch  of  Titus  and  the  Coliseum,  the  ancient  pave- 
ment of  this  famous  road,  composed  of  polygonal 
blocks  of  lava,  has  been  allowed  to  remain. 

The  Coliseum  was  originally  called  the  Flavian 
Amphitheater.  This  vast  building  was  begun  A.D. 
72,  upon  the  site  of  the  reservoir  of  Nero,  by  the  Em- 
peror Vespasian,  who  built  as  far  as  the  third  row 
of  arches,  the  last  two  rows  being  finished  by  Titus 
after  his  return  from  the  conquest  of  Jerusalem.  It 
is  said  that  twelve  thousand  captive  Jews  were  em- 
ployed in  this  work,  as  the  Hebrews  in  building  the 
pyramids  of  Egypt,  and  that  the  external  walls 
alone  cost  seventeen  million  francs.  It  consists  of 
four  stories — the  first  Doric,  the  second  Ionic,  the 
third  and  fourth  Corinthian.  Its  circumference  is 
one  thousand  six  hundred  and  forty-one  feet,  its 
length  two  hundred  and  eighty-seven,  its  width  two 
hundred  and  eighty-two,  its  height  one  hundred 
and  fifty-seven.  The  entrance  for  the  emperor  was 
between  two  arches  facing  the  Esquiline,  where 
there  was  no  cornice.  The  arena  was  surrounded 
by  a  wall  sufficiently  high  to  protect  the  spectators 
from  the  wild  beasts,  which  were  introduced  by 
subterranean  passages  closed  by  huge  gates  from 
the  side.  The  whole  building  was  said  to  be  capable 
of  containing  one  hundred  thousand  persons. 

The  Emperor  Commodus,  A.D.  180-182,  fre- 
quently fought  in  the  Coliseum  himself,  and  killed 
both  gladiators  and  wild  beasts,  calling  himself 
Hercules,  dressed  in  a  lion's  skin,  with  his  hair 
sprinkled  with  gold-dust.  The  gladiatorial  contests 
came  to  an  end  A.D.  403.  An  Oriental  monk 


206          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

named  Telemaehus  was  so  horrified  at  them  that 
he  rushed  in  the  midst  of  the  arena  and  besought 
the  spectators  to  remove  them.  Instead  of  listen- 
ing to  him,  they  put  him  to  death. 

The  first  martyrdom  here  was  that  of  St.  Ignatius, 
said  to  have  been  the  child  especially  blessed  by  our 
Saviour,  the  disciple  of  John,  and  the  companion 
of  Polycarp,  who  was  sent  here  from  Antioch  when 
he  was  bishop.  When  brought  into  the  arena  he 
knelt  down,  and  exclaimed:  "Romans  who  are 
here  present  know  that  I  have  not  been  brought 
into  this  place  for  any  crime,  but  in  order  that  by 
this  means  I  may  merit  the  fruition  of  the  glory  of 
God,  for  love  of  whom  I  have  been  made  a  prisoner. 
'I  am  as  the  grain  of  the  field,  and  must  be  ground 
by  the  teeth  of  the  lions  that  I  may  become  bread 
fit  for  His  table.'  "  The  lions  were  then  let  loose, 
and  devoured  him,  except  the  larger  bones,  which 
the  Christians  collected  during  the  night. 

It  is  related  of  Ignatius  that  he  grew  up  in  such 
innocence  of  heart,  and  purity  of  life,  that  to  him 
it  was  granted  to  hear  the  angels  sing;  hence  when 
he  became  Bishop  of  Antioch  he  introduced  into 
the  service  of  the  Church  the  practice  of  singing 
the  praises  of  God  in  responses,  as  he  had  heard 
the  choir  of  the  angels  answering  each  other. 

Soon  after  thejieath  of  Ignatius,  one  hundred 
and  fifteen  Christians  were  shot  down  here  with  ar- 
rows. Some  of  these  the  wild  beasts  would  not 
attack,  but  on  their  refusing  were  killed  by  the 
friends  of  the  gladiators. 

To  stand  and  view  tlTese  ruins,  and  let  the  mind 
run  back  to  the  scenes  which  have  here  been  enacted, 
will  produce  feelings  which  may  be  imagined,  but 
not  described.  So  suggestive  and  distinct  are  the 
impressions  made  upon  the  mind,  that  one  may 
easily  fancy  he  sees  the  whole  terrible,  bloody  scenes 
spread  out  before  him.  Alas,  for  poor  human  na- 


THE  COLISEUM.  207 

ture !  to  seek  such  amusements  as  countless  thous- 
ands did,  and  with  eager  faces  stare*  down  into  the 
arena  to  witness  such  a  whirl  of  strife  and  blood 
going  on  there  as  no  language  can  describe.  Its 
solitude,  its  awful  beauty,  and  its  utter  desolation 
strike  upon  the  stranger  the  next  moment  like  a 
softened  sorrow  to  see  it  crumbling  an  inch  a  year, 
its  walls  and  arches  overgrown  with  green,  its  cor- 
ridors opened  to  the  dogs,  the  long  grass  growing 
in  its  porches,  and  young  trees  spring  up  on  its  rag- 
ged parapets.  All  these  teach  a  lesson  worthy  of 
being  engraven  upon  the  tablet  of  every  heart,  of 
the  vanity  of  the  glory  of  earth's  great  and  powerful 
nations. 

The  spot  where  the  Christian  martyrs  suffered  is 
now  marked  by  a  tall  cross,  devoutly  kissed  Joy  the 
faithful,  and  all  round  the  arena  of  the  Coliseum 
are  small  chapels,  or  stations  used  in  the  Via  Crnsis, 
which  is  observed  here  at  4  P.M.  every  Friday,  when 
a  confraternity  clothed  in  gray,  with  only  the  eyes 
visible,  is  followed  by  a  crowrd  of  worshipers,  who 
chant  and  pray  at  each  station  in  turn,  after  which 
a  Capuchin  monk  preaches  from  a  pulpit  on  the  left 
of  the  arena.  The  pulpit  of  the  Coliseum  was 
used  for  the  stormy  sermons  of  Gavazzi,  who  called 
the  people  to  arms  from  thence  in  the  revolution  of 
March,  1848.  Never  can  one  forget  the  magnificent 
Coliseum.  I  passed  it  often,  and  always  felt  in- 
spired with  the  grandest  conceptions  I  ever  had  of 
man's  work  whenever  I  beheld  it. 


The  Eternal  City— The  Catacombs— St.  Agnes. 

As  we  rode  out  the  Appian  Way,  one  afternoon, 
to  visit  the  catacombs,  which  have  to  be  visited 
with  a  guide,  on  our  route  we  passed  the  place 
where  a  remarkable  story  is  told  of  St.  Peter.  After 
the  burning  of  Eome,  Nero  threw  upon  the  Chris- 


208          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 

tians  the  accusation  of  having  fired  the  city.  This 
was  the  origin  of  the  first  persecution,  in  which 
many  perished  by  terrible  and  hitherto  unheard  of 
deaths.  The  Christian  converts  besought  Peter  not 
to  expose  his  life.  As  he  fled  along  the  Appian 
"Way,  about  two  miles  from  the  gates,  he  was  met 
by  a  vision  of  our  Saviour,  traveling  toward  the 
city.  Struck  with  amazement,  he  exclaimed,  "Lord, 
whither  goest  thou?"  to  which  the  Saviour,  look- 
ing upon  him  with  a  mild  sadness,  replied,  "  I  go  to 
Rome  to  be  crucified  a  second  time,"  and  vanished. 
Peter  taking  this  as  a  sign  that  he  was  to  submit 
himself  to  the  sufferings  prepared  for  him,  immedi- 
ately returned  back  to  the  city.  Where  the  roads 
divide  is  the  Church  of  Domine,  containing  a  copy 
of  the  Celebrated  footprint  left  here  by  our  Saviour. 
We  did  not  stop  to  see  the  copy  which  is  kept  here 
where  the  meeting  occurred,  but  we  saw  what  they 
assert  to  be  the  original  at  St.  Sebastian.  It  is  some 
twelve  or  fifteen  feet  high,  and  has  to  be  seen  with 
a  taper.  Some  of  our  company  were  incredulous 
enough  to  say  they  saw  the  marks  of  the  chisel 
even  on  this  original  footprint  on  the  stone.  We 
lighted  our  tapers,  and  following  our  guide,  we 
wound  down  and  around  for  a  considerable  distance 
among  the  bones  of  the  ancient  dead.  Gloomy, 
indeed,  are  these  catacombs.  One  visit  to  them  is 
all  any  one  ever  need  desire  to  be  satisfied.  The 
temperature  is  mild,  and  some  of  the  vaults  were 
almost  dry,  and  the  air  seems  to  be  pure.  We  did 
not  go  far,  but  I  believe  all  of  us  were  perfectly 
satisfied  when  we  came  out.  Their  extent  is  enor- 
mous, not  as  to  the  amount  of  superficial  soil  which 
they  underlie,  for  they  rarely,  if  ever,  pass  beyond 
the  third  mile-stone  from  the  city,  but  the  actual 
length  of  their  galleries,  for  these  are  often  exca- 
vated on  various  levels,  three,  four,  or  five  feet,  one 
above  the  other;  they  cross  and  recross  one  another 


THE  CATACOMBS. — ST.  AGNES.  209 

so,  that  in  the  whole  there  are  not  less  than  three 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  them.  If  stretched  out 
in  one  continual  line,  they  would  extend  the  whole 
length  of  Italy.  The  galleries  are  from  two  to  four 
feet  in  width,  and  vary  in  height  according  to  the 
nature  of  the  rock  in  which  they  are  dug.  The 
walls  on  both  sides  are  pierced  with  horizontal 
niches,  like  shelves  in  a  book-case,  or  berths  in  a 
steamer,  and  every  niche  once  contained  one  or 
more  bodies.  These  vast  excavations  once  formed 
the  ancient  Christian  cemeteries  of  Rome.  They 
were  begun  in  the  apostles'  time,  and  continued  to 
be  burying-places  of  the  faithful  till  the  capture 
of  the  city  by  Alaric,  in  the  year  410.  In  the  third 
century  the  Roman  Church  numbered  twenty-five 
or  twenty-six  of  them,  corresponding  to  the  number 
of  her  titles,  or  parishes  within  the  city,  and  besides 
these,  twenty  others  of  smaller  dimensions,  isolated 
monuments  of  special  martyrs,  or  belonging  to  pri- 
vate families.  It  is  agreed  among  men  of  learning, 
who  have  had  an  opportunity  of  examining  these 
excavations,  that  they  were  used  exclusively  by  the 
Christians  as  places  of  burial  and  religious  assem- 
blies. Modern  researches  have  now  placed  it  beyond 
a  doubt  that  they  were  originally  assigned  for  this 
purpose,  and  no  other.  In  most  of  these  chambers, 
and  sometimes  in  the  galleries  themselves,  are  one  or 
more  tombs  of  a  more  elaborate  kind,  hollowed  out  in 
the  rock,  or  built  up  with  masonry,  and  closed  by  a 
heavy  slab  of  marble  lying  horizontally  at  the  top  of  it. 
The  fact  that  the  early  Christians  were  always 
anxious  not  to  burn  their"  dead,  but  to  bury  them  in 
these  rock-hewn  sepulchers,  was  probably  owing  to 
the  remembrance  that  our  Lord  was  himself  laid  "in 
a  new  tomb  hewn  out  of  a  rock,"  and  perhaps  also, 
for  this  reason,  the  bodies  were  wrapped  in  linen 
cloths  and  precious  spices,  of  which  remains  have 
been  found  in  the  tombs. 


210        A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

In  the  road  leading  to  Surbam  is  the  entrance  to 
the  Jewish  catacomb.  It  is  entered  by  a  chamber 
opened  to  the  sky,  floored  with  black  and  white 
mosaic,  which  is  supposed  to  have  formed  part  of  a, 
pagan  dwelling.  The  following  chamber  has  the 
remains  of  a  well.  Among  the  most  remarkable 
paintings  is  Elijah  ascending  to  heaven  in  a  chariot 
drawn  by  four  horses,  and  a  portrait  of  our  Lord. 

Owing  to  the  desire  in  the  early  Christian  Church 
of  saving  the  graves  of  their  first  confessors  and 
martyrs  from  desecration,  almost  all  the  catacombs 
were  gradually  blocked  up,  and  by  a  lapse  of  time 
their  entrances  were  forgotten.  In  the  fourteenth 
century  very  few  of  them  were  still  open.  In  the 
fifteenth  none  remained  except  this  one  at  Sebastian, 
which  continues  to  be  frequented  by  pilgrims.  A 
little  more  than  a  mile  from  the  gate  the  road  reaches 
the  Basilica  of  St.  Agnes,  founded  by  Constantino 
in  honor  of  the  virgin  martyr  buried  in  the  neigh- 
boring catacomb.  It  retains  more  of  an  ancient 
character  than  most  of  the  Roman  churches.  The 
approach  to  the  church  is  by  a  picturesque  staircase 
of  forty-five  ancient  marble-steps,  lined  with  in- 
scriptions from  the  catacombs.  Beneath  is  the 
shrine  of  St.  Agnes,  surmounted  by  her  statue — an 
antique  of  ancient  alabaster,  with  wooden  head, 
and  hands  of  gilt  bronze.  The  mosaics  of  the 
tribune  represent  St.  Agnes  between  two  popes  of 
the  seventh  century.  Beneath  is  an  ancient  epis- 
copal chair.  So  ancient  is  the  worship  paid  to  St. 
Agnes  that  next  to  the  evangelists  and  apostles 
there  is  no  saint  whose  effigy  is  older.  It  is  found 
on  the  ancient  glass  and  earthen  vessels  used  by 
the  Christians  in  the  early  part  of  the  third  century, 
with  her  name  inscribed,  which  leaves  no  doubt  of 
her  identity.  St.  Agnes  suffered  martyrdom  by 
being  stabbed  in  the  throat,  under  Diocletian,  in 
her  thirtieth  year,  after  which,  according  to  the  ex- 


ST.  AGNES.  211 

pressions  used  in  the  acts  of  her  martyrdom,  her 
parents  "with  all  joy"  laid  her  in  the  catacombs. 
One  day  while  they  were  near  the  body  of  their 
child,  she  appeared  to  them  surrounded  by  a  great 
multitude  of  virgins,  triumphant  and  glorious  like 
herself,  with  a  lamb  by  her  side,  and  said:  I  am  in 
heaven,  living  with  these  virgins,  my  companions, 
near  Him  whom  I  have  so  much  loved."  By  her 
tomb  also  Constantia,  a  princess,  sick  with  hopeless 
leprosy,  was  praying  for  the  healing  of  her  body, 
when  she  heard  a  voice  saying:  "Rise  up,  Constan- 
tia, and  go  on  constantly  in  the  faith  of  Jesus  Christ, 
the  Son  of  God,  who  shall  heal  your  diseases." 
And  being  cured  of  her  evil,  she  besought  her 
father  to  build  this  basilica  as  a  thank-offering.  On 
the  21st  of  January  a  beautiful  service  is  celebrated, 
in  which  two  lambs,  typical  of  the  purity  of  the 
virgin  saint,  are  blessed  upon  the  altar. 

The  catacomb  of  St.  Agnes  is  entered  from  a 
vineyard  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  beyond  the 
church.  It  is  lighted  and  open  to  the  public  on  St. 
Agnes'  day.  This  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
catacombs  to  visit.  The  entrance  is  by  a  staircase 
attributed  to  Constantine.  The  most  interesting 
features  here  are  a  square  chamber  hewn  in  the 
rock,  with  an  arm-chair  cut  out  of  the  rock  on  either 
side  of  the  entrance.  In  the  central  compartment 
is  our  Lord,  seated  between  the  rolls  of  the  Old  and 
New  Testament.  Above  the  arcosolium,  in  the  place 
of  honor,  is  the  Saviour,  as  the  Good  Shepherd, 
bearing  a  sheep  upon  his  shoulders,  and  standing 
between  other  sheep  and  the  trees.  In  the  other 
compartments  are  Daniel  in  the  lion's  den,  the 
three  Hebrew  children  in  the  furnace,  Moses  taking 
off  his  shoes,  Moses  striking  the  rock,  and  nearest 
the  entrance  the  paralytic  carrying  his  bed.  A 
neighboring  chapel  has  also  remains  of  an  altar, 
and  well-preserved  paintings — "The  Good  Shep- 


212          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

herd;"  "Adam  and  Eve,  with  the  tree  between 
them;"  "Jonah  under  the  Gourd."  In  the  farther 
part  of  the  catacomb  is  a  long,,  narrow  chapel,  di- 
vided into  three  parts,  of  which  the  farthest,  a 
presbytery,  contains  an  ancient  episcopal  chair, 
with  lower  seats  on  either  side  for  priests.  In  the 
extremity  of  the  catacombs,  under  the  Basilica  of 
St.  Agnes,  is  one  of  its  most  interesting  features. 
There  the  passages  become  wider  and  more  irregu- 
lar, the  walls  sloping  and  unformed,  and  graves 
cease  to  appear,  indicating  one  of  the  ancient  arenaria 
which  have  formed  the  approaches  to  the  catacomb, 
and  beyond  which  the  Christians  excavated  their 
cemetery.  The  graves  throughout  almost  all  the 
catacombs  have  been  rifled,  the  bones  which  they 
contained  being  distributed  as  relics  throughout 
Roman  Catholic  Christendom,  and  most  of  the  sar- 
cophagi and  inscriptions  removed  to  Lateran  and 
other  museums. 

I  have  devoted  more  space  to  St.  Agnes  because 
of  the  importance  attached  to  her  name  and  mem- 
ory than  almost  any  other  saint,  and  that  we  have  a 
school  named  in  honor  of  her  in  the  city. 

The  Santa  Scala — Eoman  Funeral — The  Pantheon. 

Among  the  many  places  of  interest  in  Rome  is 
the  Santa  Scala,  erected  by  Fortuna,  for  Sextus  V. 
"We  must  of  course  go  to  see  this  remarkable  relic 
of  antiquity  as  well  as  credulity,  which  is  supposed 
to  be  that  of  the  stairs  of  the  house  of  Pilate, 
ascended  and  descended  by  our  Saviour.  It  is  said 
to  have  been  brought  from  Jerusalem  by  Helena, 
the  mother  of  Constantine  the  Great,  and  has  been 
regarded  with  special  reverence  by  the  Roman 
Church  for  fifteen  hundred  years.  Clement  XII. 
caused  the  steps  to  be  covered  with  a  wooden  casing, 
which  has  since  been  repeatedly  worn  out  by  the 


THE  SANTA  SCALA.  213 

knees  of  the  ascending  pilgrims.  Apertures  are 
left  through  which  the  marble  steps  can  be  seen, 
two  of  which  are  said  to  be  stained  by  the  blood  of 
the  Saviour.  Between  two  statues  the  pilgrims  kneel 
to  commence  the  ascent,  which,  by  the  way,  I  should 
suppose,  from  what  we  saw  when  there,  was  not 
only  a  very  tedious,  but  a  laborious  operation. 

Numerous  indulgences  have  been  granted  by  dif- 
ferent popes  to  those  who  ascend  it  with  a  prayer  at 
each  step.  There  is  no  day  on  which  worshipers 
may  not  be  seen  slowly  ascending  these  stairs,  but 
during  the  Holy  Week  the  concourse  is  at  its 
height,  and  on  Good  Friday  this  structure  is  com- 
pletely covered  by  the  multitudes  paying  penance. 
Martin  Luther  went  to  accomplish  the  ascent  of  the 
Santa  Scala.  He  slowly  mounted,  step  after  step, 
the  hard  stone,  worn  into  hollows  by  the  knees  of 
the  pilgrims  for  an  indulgence  for  a  thousand  years. 
Patiently  he  crept  half-way  up  the  staircase.  He 
suddenly  stood  erect,  lifted  his  face  heavenward, 
turned  and  walked  slowly  down  again.  He  said,  as 
he  was  toiling  up,  a  voice  as  from  heaven  seemed 
to  whisper  to  him  the  old  well-known  words  which 
had  been  his  battle-cry  in  so  many  a  victorious  con- 
flict: "The  just  shall  live  by  faith."  He  seemed 
suddenly  released  from  his  bonds  and  fetters,  and 
with  a  firm  step  he  went  away.  Ascending  one  of 
the  lateral  staircases — no  foot  must  touch  the  Santa 
Scala — we  reached  a  chapel  so  intensely  sacred  that 
none  but  a  pope  can  officiate  at  its  altar,  and  as 
Victor  Emmanuel  has  stopped  his  officiating,  it  is 
probable  it  will  be  some  time  before  service  will  be 
had  in  that  chapel  again. 

Our  company  did  not  seem  to  feel  much  of  the 
sacredness  of  this  place,  or  its  performances.  Those 
who  were  going  up  were  in  good  earnest,  and  we 
could  but  admire  their  perseverance  while  doubting 
their  judgment. 


214          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

A  Koman  funeral  is  a  sad  sight,  and  strikes  one 
with  peculiar  solemnity.  After  death  the  body  is 
entirely  abandoned  to  the  priests,  who  take  posses- 
sion of  it,  watch  over  it,  and  prepare  it  for  burial; 
while  the  family,  if  they  can  find  refuge  anywhere 
else,  abandon  the  house,  and  remain  away  a  week. 
The  body  is  not  ordinarily  allowed  to  remain  in  the 
house  more  than  twelve  hours,  except  on  condition 
that  it  is  sealed  up  with  lead  or  zinc.  At  nightfall 
a  sad  procession  stops  before  the  house  of  the  dead. 
They  are  dressed  in  a  black  cap,  covering  the  head 
and  face  as  well  as  the  body,  and  two  large  holes 
cut  in  front  for  the  eyes.  Four  carry  the  bier,  and 
are  furnished  with  wax  candles,  for  no  one  is  buried 
in  Rome  without  a  candle.  If  the  person  is  wealthy 
the  funeral  takes  place  late  at  night,  and  the  proces- 
sion is  long.  I  presume  the  one  I  saw  was  not  of 
that  class,  for  although  there  was  a  long  procession, 
there  wrere  no  carnages,  and  it  was  early  in  the 
night.  I  believe  no  carriages  are  allowed  but  at 
State  funerals.  Every  one  takes  off  his  hat,  or 
makes  the  sign  of  the  cross,  or  mutters  a  prayer  as 
the  body  passes.  All  these  wre  failed  to  do,  as  we 
were  not  then  posted  in  regard  to  these  regulations. 

The  Pantheon. — The  first  time  I  saw  this  most 
perfect  pagan  building  was  the  evening  of  our  ar- 
rival in  the  city.  There  was  an  immense  crowd 
there,  and  the  soft,  mellow  light  from  the  ceiling 
made  one  think  it  "grand,  gloomy,  and  peculiar." 
The  Pantheon  was  not  originally  as  it  now  is, 
below  the  level  of  the  piazza,  but  was  approached 
by  a  flight  of  five  steps.  The  portico,  which  is  one 
hundred  and  ten  feet  long  and  forty-four  feet  deep, 
is  supported  by  sixteen  grand  Corinthian  columns 
of  Oriental  granite,  thirty-six  feet  in  height.  The 
interior  is  a  rotunda,  one  hundred  and  forty-three 
feet  in  diameter,  covered  by  a  dome.  It  is  only 
lighted  by  an  aperture  in  the  center,  twenty-eight 


ST.  PETER'S.  215 

feet  in  diameter.  Seven  great  niches  around  the 
wall  once  contained  statues  of  different  gods  and 
goddesses,  that  of  Jupiter  being  the  central  figure. 
The  world  has  nothing  like  the  Pantheon.  Every 
thing  makes  an  impression  of  deep  solemnity,  which 
St.  Peter's  itself  fails  to  produce.  , 


St.  Peter's— The  Vatican — Sistine  Chapel — Michael  Angelo, 

etc. 

St.  Peter's. — The  first  church  which  existed  on  or 
near  the  site  of  the  present  building  was  the  oratory 
founded  A.D.  90  by  Anacletus,  Bishop  of  Rome, 
who  is  said  to  have  been  ordained  by  St.  Peter  him- 
self, and  who  thus  marked  the  spot  where  many 
Christian  martyrs  had  suffered  in  the  circus  of  Nero, 
and  where  St.  Peter  was  buried  after  his  crucifixion. 

In  306  Constantine  the  Great  yielded  to  the 
request  of  Pope  Sylvester,  and  began  the  erection 
of  a  basilica  on  this  spot,  laboring  with  his  own 
hands  at  the  work,  and  himself  carrying  twelve 
loads  of  earth  in  honor  of  the  twelve  apostles.  The 
great  apostle  is  said  to  have  been  exhumed  at  this 
time,  and  reinterred  in  a  shrine  of  silver,  inclosed 
in  a  sarcophagus  of  gilt  bronze.  I  wish  here  to 
state  that  it  is  a  question  about  which  there  is  a 
great  difference  of  opinion,  as  to  whether  St.  Peter 
was  ever  at  Rome,  Protestants  contending  that  he 
never  was,  while  the  Romanists  are  fully  estab- 
lished in  the  belief  that  he  was  here  crucified  and 
buried.  I  neither  know  nor  care  which  is  correct. 
.1  attach  not  the  least  importance  to  it,  but  I  am 
giving  only  what  is  there  believed,  and  about  which 
they  think  there  can  be  no  possibility  of  doubt.  I 
leave  them  to  fight  their  own  battles,  while  I  proceed 
to  say  that  the  early  basilica  measured  three  hun- 
dred and  ninety-five  feet  in  length,  by  two  hundred 
and  twelve  in  width.  Its  nave  and  aisles  were  di- 


216          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

vided  by  eighty-six  marble  pillars.  Though  only 
half  the  size  of  the  present  cathedral,  still  it  covered 
a  greater  space  than  any  cathedral  except  those  at 
Milan  and  Seville,  with  which  it  ranked  in  size. 
The  building  of  the  present  St.  Peter's  extended 
altogether  over  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  years, 
and  its  expenses  were  so  great  that  Julius  II.  and 
Leo  X.  were  obliged  to  meet  them  by  the  sale  of 
indulgences,  which  led  to  the  Reformation.  The 
expense  of  the  main  building  alone  has  been  esti- 
mated at  ten  million  pounds  sterling  ($50,000,000). 
The  annual  expense  of  repairs  is  over  forty  thou- 
sand dollars.  The  facade  of  St.  Peter's  is  three 
hundred  and  fifty-seven  feet  long,  and  one  hundred 
and  forty-four  feet  high,  bearing  statues  of  the 
Saviour  and  his  twelve  apostles.  Near  the  central 
entrance  is  the  Loggia,  wrhere  the  pope  is  crowned, 
and  where  he  gives,  or  has  given,  the  Easter  bene- 
diction. On  entering  this  largest  of  all  churches 
you  feel  at  first  disappointed.  You  can't  see  it  all 
from  any  one  place,  hence  it  does  not  fully  meet 
your  expectations.  I  wras  there  several  times,  and 
each  time  was  more  impressed  with  its  immensity. 
It  appeared  like  some  great  work  of  nature,  for  we 
can  scarcely  realize  that  it  is  the  work  of  men.  You 
may  lose  your  way  in  St.  Peter's.  There  are  so 
many  chapels  where  divine  service  is  performed 
and  chanted  that  you  come  upon  them  before  you 
are  aware  of  it.  The  angels  in  the  baptistry  are 
immense  giants,  the  doves  colossal  birds  of  prey. 
You  lose  all  ideas  of  measurement,  every  thing 
being  of  gigantic  proportions.  As  you  enter  the 
front  door  a  cold  wind  strikes  you  which  makes 
you  feel  like  you  needed  an  overcoat  in  summer. 
It  is  said  the  temperature  does  not  change ;  in  the 
coldest  weather  it  is  like  summer  to  your  feelings, 
and  in  the  most  oppressive  heat  it  strikes  you  with 
a  delightful  sensation  of  cold. 


ST.  PETER'S — THE  VATICAN.  217 

The  enormous  size  of  the  statues  and  ornaments 
in  St.  Peter's  does  away,  to  some  extent,  with  the  im- 
pression of  its  vast  size,  and  it  is  only  by  observing 
the  living,  moving  figures,  that  one  can  form  an 
idea  of  its  colossal  proportions.  A  line  in  the 
pavement  is  marked  with  the  comparative  size  of 
the  other  great  Christian  churches.  I  stepped  its 
length,  and  found  it  over  two  hundred  yards.  Its 
exact  length,  as  given  by  Mr.  Hare,  from  whom  I 
copy  largely,  is  six  hundred  and  thirteen  and  a  half- 
feet;  St.  Paul's,  London,  five  hundred  and  twenty 
and  a  half;  Milan  Cathedral,  four  hundred  and 
forty-three;  St.  Sophia,  Constantinople,  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty  and  a  half.  The  height  of  the  dome 
in  the  interior  is  four  hundred  and  five  feet,  and  the 
exterior  four  hundred  and  forty-eight  feet.  St. 
Peter's  is  a  grand  aggregation  of  splendid  churches, 
chapels,  tombs,  and  works  of  art. 

The  Vatican,  the  first  residence  of  the  popes, 
was  erected  in  A.D.  498-514,  near  the  court  of  old  St. 
Peter's,  and  here  Charlemagne  is  believed  to  have 
resided  on  the  occasion  of  his  several  visits  to  Rome. 
The  Vatican  Palace  was  used  only  on  State  occa- 
sions, and  for  the  reception  of  any  foreign  sovereign 
visiting  Rome. 

The  principal  entrance  of  the  Vatican  is  at  the 
end  of  the  right  colonnade  of  St.  Peter's,  and  is  the 
nearest  way  to  the  collections  of  statues  and  pic- 
tures. On  the  right  is  the  entrance  of  the  Pauline 
Chapel.  The  Crucifixion  of  St.  Peter,  under  the 
large  window,  and  the  Conversion  of  St.  Paul,  are 
tolerably  distinct.  There  is  a  long  train  of  soldiers 
seen  ascending  in  the  background.  Christ,  sur- 
rounded by  a  host  of  angels,  bursts  upon  your  sight 
from  the  storm-flash.  Paul  lies  stretched  upon  the 
ground,  a  noble  and  finely-developed  form.  His 
followers  fly  on  all  sides,  or  are  struck  motionless 
to  the  ground. 
10 


218         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

The  arrangement  of  the  groups  is  excellent,  and 
some  single  figures  are  very  dignified.  On  the  left 
of  the  approach  from  the  Scala  Regia  is  the  Sistine 
Chapel.  The  lower  part  of  the  walls  of  this  won- 
derful chapel  was  formerly  hung,  on  festivals,  with 
the  tapestries  executed  from  the  cartoons  of  Raphael. 
The  upper  portion  is  decorated  in  fresco  by  the 
great  Florentine  masters  of  the  fifteenth  century. 
It  was  intended  to  represent  scenes  from  the  life  of 
Moses,  on  one  side  of  the  chapel,  and  from  the  life 
of  Christ  on  the  other,  so  that  the  old  law  might  be 
confirmed  by  the  new — the  type  by  the  typified. 
The  following  is  the  order  of  the  frescoes— type 
and  antitype  together:  "  Moses  in  the  Bulrushes "- 
"Christ  in  the  Manger;"  " Moses  on  the  way  to 
Egypt" — "Baptism  of  Christ;"  " Moses  and  the 
Israelites  passing  the  Red  Sea"  —"Calling  the 
Apostles;"  "Moses  giving  the  Law" — "Christ's 
Sermon  on  the  Mount;"  "Last  Interview  of  Moses 
and  Joshua" — "Resurrection  of  Christ."  The  av- 
enue of  pictures  is  a  preparation  for  the  surpassing 
grandeur  of  the  ceiling.  It  contains  the  most  per- 
fect works  of  Michael  Angelo  in  his  long  and  active 
life.  There  his  great  spirit  appears  in  its  noblest 
dignity,  and  in  its  highest  purity ;  the  most  im- 
portant events  in  the  Book  of  Genesis — the  creation 
and  fall  of  man,  and  its  immediate  consequences; 
the  sitting  figures  of  the  prophets  as  the  foretellers 
of  the  coming  Saviour.  A  great  number  of  figures 
are  also  connected  with  the  frame-work.  They  may 
be  the  best  described  as  the  living  and  embodied 
genii  of  architecture.  It  required  the  unlimited 
power  of  an  architect,  sculptor,  and  painter  to  con- 
ceive a  structured  whole  of  so  much  grandeur;  to 
design  the  decorative  figures  with  the  significant 
repose  required  by  the  picturesque  character. 

The  pictures  of  the  Old  Testament  are:    "The 
Separation  of  Light  from  Darkness;"  "The  Crea- 


THE  VATICAN.  219 

tioii  of  the  Sun  and  Moon;"  "The  Creation  of 
Trees  and  Plants;"  "The  Creation  of  Adam;" 
"The  Creation  of  Eve;"  "The  Fall,  and  Expulsion 
from  Paradise;"  "The  Sacrifice  of  Koah;"  "The 
Deluge,"  and  "The  Intoxication  of  Noah." 

The  lower  portion  of  the  ceiling  is  divided  into 
triangles,  occupied  hy  the  prophets.  They  sit  in 
twelve  throne-like  niches,  more  like  presiding  dei- 
ties, each  enwrapt  in  self-contemplation,  than  as 
tributary  witnesses  to  the  truth  and  omnipotence  of 
Him  they  are  intended  to  announce.  They  thus 
form  a  gigantic  frame-work  around  the  subjects  of 
the  creation,  of  which  the  birth  of  Eve,  as  the  type 
of  the  nativity,  is  the  intentional  center. 

The  Sistine  Chapel  is  associated  in  the  minds  of 
all  the  Roman  sojourners  with  the  great  ceremonies 
of  the  Church,  but  especially  with  the  Passion  Week. 

The  small  portion  of  the  Vatican  inhabited  by 
the  pope  is  never  seen  except  by  those  admitted  to 
a  special  audience.  As  our  time  was  limited  in 
which  to  see  the  wonders  of  this  most  remarkable 
of  cities,  we  had  none  to  spend  in  the  preparations 
to  see  his  holiness.  We  learned  that  it  required 
some  three  or  four  days,  after  a  good  recommenda- 
tion (which  we  do  not  know  that  we  could  have 
obtained),  to  be  admitted  into  his  sacred  presence. 
A  suit  of  clothes,  made  after  a  certain  style,  is  one 
of  the  requirements  in  order  to  see  him.  We  made 
no  effort  to  get  to  see  the  man  who,  though  he  re- 
gards himself  as  a  prisoner,  wields  more  influence 
still  in  Europe  than  any  crowned  head  in  the  land. 

Leaving  the  city. 

ROME,  July  30,  1873. 

I  sent  you  a  letter  day  before  yesterday,  giving  a 
hasty  sketch  of  my  impressions  of  this  ancient  city 
of  Rome.  Since  then  we  have  been  going  from  7 
A.M.  to  9  P.M.,  nearly  all  the  time,  with  Professor 


220          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Wood,  a  celebrated  archaeologist,  an  Englishman, 
who  has  resided  in  Rome  for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  He  has  taken  us  through  the  old  city  ex- 
cavations, showing  the  present  city  to  be  fifty  feet 
above  the  ancient  one.  Sometimes  we  find  a  build- 
ing directly  over  one  below  it,  and  sometimes  the 
third  one  below  both  the  others.  These  excavations 
have  been  going  on  since  the  commencement  of  the 
present  century,  more  or  less,  as  the  means  could 
be  obtained  to  prosecute  them.  Louis  Napoleon 
purchased  of  the  ex-king  a  portion  of  them,  and 
has  been  for  many  years  expending  some  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars  annually  in  this  work. 

A  great  many  things  have  been  found  which  be- 
long to  other  ages,  demonstrated  by  the  inscriptions 
found  on  them.  Some  of  the  most  important  were 
found  last  August.  These  we  have  met  with  in  the 
Vatican  and  other  places.  Napoleon  sold  out  his 
possessions  here  to  the  Italian  government,  and 
they  are  now  engaged  in  these  excavations,  expend- 
ing large  sums  of  money  for  the  removal  of  the 
rubbish.  I  have  taken  down  some  sixty  pages  in 
my  note-book,  but  have  not  time  to  look  over  them. 
I  shall  not  say  any  thing  of  them  now,  for  we  are 
to  be  off  this  morning  for  Pisa.  At  present  I  have 
only  time  to  sketch  our  route,  and  the  objects  that 
impress  me  most  at  the  time,  just  as  they  come  up 
in  my  mind,  when  I  can  find  a  few  moments  to 
write  them. 

We  had  heard  much  of  the  heat  of  Rome,  but 
we  have  found  it  very  pleasant.  In  the  sunshine 
for  a  few  hours  in  the  day  it  is  very  warm,  but  not 
near  so  hot  as  with  us.  The  nights  are  cold  and  re- 
freshing. We  have  had  no  warm  weather  to  make 
it  unpleasant  yet,  and  as  we  are  now  going  to  Switz- 
erland, we  do  n't  expect  to  suffer  with  it  in  the 
mountains.  All  our  party  keep  well,  and  in  good 
spirits. 


LEAVING  THE  CITY.  221 

Our  ladies  pack  their  baggage  when  necessary, 
which  is  often,  like  heroes.  They  are  nearly  all 
teachers,  and  are  learning  that  which  will  qualify 
them  better  for  their  duties.  Then  theiu  natural 
curiosity  stimulates  them  to  rush  ahead  to  see  all 
they  can.  One  will  see,  perhaps,  ten  times  as  many 
people  on  the  streets  at  night  as  in  the  day-time. 
The  squares  are  filled  with  idlers,  who  have  a  free 
and  easy  way  of  spending  their  time.  I  have 
counted  seventy  performers  in  a  brass-band.  Every- 
body seems  to  enjoy  themselves  in  their  nightly 
amusements.  They  do  n't  have  their  beer-gardens, 
Jike  the  Germans,  nor  do  they  seem  to  drink  any 
thing  much  but  lemonade,  publicly.  They  are  a 
much  more  intellectual-looking  people  than  many 
we  have  seen.  They  look  more  like  our  Southern 
population  than  any  we  have  met  with  in  Europe. 
They  do  not  remind  us,  however,  of  our  hotels. 
They  study  economy  closely.  They  have  meat  only 
once  a  day,  and  that  done  up  in  "Italian  style," 
sometimes  repulsive  to  me.  We  make  a  clear  sweep 
of  all  they  give  us  that  we  can  eat,  and  that  is 
enough.  Upon  the  whole  I  like  these  Italians. 
They  are  republican  in  their  feelings,  and  some  day 
they  will  cut  loose  from  civil  and  ecclesiastical  des- 
potism. In  fact,  there  has  been  a  great  improve- 
ment in  these  matters  within  the  past  few  years. 
The  pope's  bulls  seem  to  create  no  sensation  among 
the  people,  so  far  as  we  could  learn.  Religious  and 
civil  liberty  seem  to  be  enjoyed  as  much  here  as  in 
any  country  we  have  visited.  This  is  the  first  place 
on  the  Continent  in  which  we  have  not  been  able  to 
spend  the  time  we  desired;  but  the  "Eternal  City" 
attracts  us,  and  soon  we  are  to  be  off  for  romantic 
Switzerland. 


222         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Letters  from  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Whipple,  President  of  Lansing- 
burgh  College,  New  York. 

VENICE,  July  22,  1873. 

TUESDAY  at  6  A.M.,  after  twenty- three  consecutive 
hours  in  the  cars,  we  were  glad  to  get  into  gondolas 
and  wend  our  way  through  water-streets,  or  canals, 
to  the  Hotel  Victoria,  for  breakfast  in  Venice,  "the 
bride  of  the  sea."  In  its  best  days  it  had  a  popula- 
tion of  200,000;  now  about  one-half  as  many,  and 
one-fourth  of  these  helped  as  paupers.  Fifteen 
thousand  houses  and  palaces  constitute  Venice, 
built  on  three  large  and  one  hundred  and  fourteen 
small  islands,  formed  by  one  hundred  and  forty- 
seven  canals,  united  by  three  hundred  and  seventy- 
five  bridges.  The  city  is  surrounded  by  a  shallow 
bay  twenty-five  miles  long  and  nine  wide,  protected 
from  the  open  sea  by  long  sand-hills,  converted  into 
bulwarks  by  solid  masonry  averaging  thirty  feet  in 
height  and  forty-five  in  width.  There  are  two 
kinds  of  bays,  or  lagoons — living  or  dead,  or  those 
in  which  the  tide  rises  and  falls,  and  those  shallow 
and  unaffected  by  the  tides.  Most  of  the  houses 
rise  immediately  from  the  water,  and  all  expeditious 
traveling  is  done  in  gondolas.  There  are  many 
places  of  interest,  chief  of  which  is  the  Piazza  of 
St.  Mark  and  its  surroundings.  "Piazza"  means  a 
large  open  space;  small  ones  are  called  "campi." 
This  is  five  hundred  and  seventy-five  feet  in  length^ 


LETTERS  FROM  KEY.  A.  B.  WHIFFLE.       223 

two  hundred  and  sixty-eight  in  hreadth  on  the  east, 
and  one  hundred  and  eighty-five  feet  on  the  west 
side.  On  three  sides  it  is  inclosed  by  imposing 
structures,  forming  one  vast  marble  palace,  black- 
ened by  age  and  the  elements,  and  looking,  in  fact, 
very  much  as  if  seen  through  a  stereoscope.  On  the 
east  is  the  Church  of  St.  Mark  and  a  small  piazza, 
called  Piazzetta,  on  the  west  of  which  is  the  ancient 
library  of  St.  Mark.  On  the  south  is  the  Lagune, 
or  "live  bay."  In  this  part  of  the  piazza  are  two 
lofty  granite  columns  —  one  surmounted  by  the 
winged  Lion  of  St.  Mark,  the  tutelary  saint  of 
Venice;  the  other  column  supports  St.  Theodore, 
on  a  crocodile,  the  patron  of  the  old  republic.  You 
can  easily  infer  what  these  emblems  are  designed  to 
teach.  On  the  north  are  the  procurdtia,  or  palaces 
of  the  " procurators,"  the  highest  officials  in  the  re- 
public, and  on  the  west  the  Atrio,  or  new  palace, 
erected  by  Napoleon  in  1810,  on  the  site  of  a  former 
church.  All  these  buildings  surrounding  the  Piazza 
have  their  ground  structures  of  arcades,  in  which  are 
the  cafes  and  shops,  the  grandest  in  the  city.  This 
Piazza  is  the  focus  of  public  life  in  Venice.  Here 
rich  and  poor,  on  summer  evenings,  gather  to  enjoy 
the  band  of  music,  lemonade,  cigars,  conversation, 
sight-seeing,  and  purchases. 

I  do  not  wonder  that  in  this  warm  climate,  and 
with  such  narrow  streets  and  small  accommoda- 
tions, most  of  the  people  live  out  of  doors  as  much 
as  possible.  Even  in  the  winter  the  band  plays 
here  in  the  open  air  from  2  to  4  P.M.,  and  then  this 
is  the  promenade  of  the  fashionable  world. 

Rather  than  try  to  give  a  running  account  of  the 
whole  city,  let  me  in  this  letter  be  more  special 
than  hitherto,  and  confine  my  description  to  St. 
Mark's  Church.  I  can  do  this,  because  I  tarried  in 
and  around  it  longer  than  any  other  church  in 
Europe. 


224         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Some  years  ago  a  very  rich  man  died,  and  left  a 
very  large  sum  of  money  to  be  annually  expended, 
and  perpetually,  in  one  hundred  masses  per  day  for 
three  days.  One  of  these  days  we  were  there  lis- 
tening to  the  service,  employing  the  best  singing 
talent  of  the  Italians.  Not  being  a  critic  of  the 
music,  I  let  my  eyes  roam  around  the  church,  and 
read  the  Latin  inscriptions  under  every  painting 
and  statue.  (In  parenthesis  let  me  say,  in  all  the 
churches  and  most  of  the  galleries  of  paintings  and 
art,  we  find  Latin  inscriptions,  and  he  who  can  read 
them  need  not  wait  for  a  guide  to  explain  in  very 
poor  English  what  he  can  read  for  himself.)  I  have 
mentioned  St.  Mark  as  the  tutelary  saint  of  Venice. 
This  church  was  begun  in  976,  and  finished  in  1071, 
and  lavishly  decorated,  with  oriental  magnificence, 
in  after  centuries.  In  form  it  is  a  Greek  cross  ;  has 
equal  arms,  covered  by  a  dome  in  the  center,  and 
one  at  the  extremity  of  each  arm — five  domes.  In- 
side and  outside,  the  church  is  adorned  and  sup- 
ported by  five  hundred  marble  columns,  with  capi- 
tals in  every  variety  of  st}7le.  Mosaics  of  the  tenth 
century  cover  forty  thousand  square  feet,  and  the 
interior  is  lavishly  decorated  with  gilding,  bronze, 
and  eastern  marble.  The  conjoined  effect  is  pic- 
turesque, or  fantastic,  rather  than  seriously  impres- 
sive. Without,  and  over  the  portal,  are  four  horses 
in  gilded  bronze,  some  five  feet  high,  made  in 
the  time  of  Nero,  well  executed,  and  valuable  as 
the  sole  specimen  of  an  ancient  four-horse  team, 
pictured  before  a  chariot.  They  once  adorned  the 
triumphal  arch  of  Nero,  next  that  of  Trajan.  Con- 
stantine  took  them  to  Constantinople,  and  Dandolo 
captured  and  brought  them  to  Venice  in  1207. 
Then  Napoleon  captured  the  place,  and  took  them 
to  Paris  in  1797,  and  placed  them  on  top  of  the 
triumphal  arch  in  the  Place  du  Carroussel,  and  in 
1815  the  Emperor  Francis  brought  them  back  to 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       225 

Venice,  and  they  are  now  in  their  former  position. 
Few  horses  have  traveled  so  far,  or  had  so  many 
royal  horse-thieves  to  run  them  out  of  one  country 
into  another,  and,  in  common  parlance,  "  show  their 
oats  so  well."  Mosaics  below  the  horses  and  in  the 
arches  represent  the  Last  Judgment,  the  embarka- 
tion at  Alexandria  of  {St.-  Mark's  body,  and  its  dis- 
embarkation at  Venice,  and  on  the  left  the  venera- 
tion of  the  saint,  and  the  church  into  which  his 
relics  were  conveyed  in  the  thirteenth  century.  The 
vaulting  of  the  entrance-hall,  entirely  of  mosaic,  rep- 
resents Old  Testament  subjects,  beginning  on  the 
right  with  the  creation ;  the  new  part,  New  Testa- 
ment scenes;  while  over  the  entrance  is  St.  Mark, 
from  a  design  by  Titian ;  and  the  capitals  of  the 
columns  are  said  to  be  from  the  Temple  at  Jerusa- 
lem. The  interior  is  fifty-eight  by  two  hundred  and 
ten  feet,  and  over  the  entrance-door  is  one  of  the 
oldest  mosaics  of  the  church,  done  in  the  eleventh 
century,  representing  Christ,  Mary,  and  St.  Mark. 
Approaching  the  altar,  on  the  right  and  left  are  two 
pulpits  of  colored  marble,  and  above,  in  mosaic,  the 
genealogy  of  Mary.  On  the  screen  are  fourteen 
statues  in  marble  of  Mark,  Mary,  and  the  Apostles. 
On  the  arches  each  side  of  the  choir  are  five  bronze 
reliefs  from  events  in  the  life  of  St.  Mark.  Beneath 
the  high  altar,  as  the  marble  slab  says,  repose  the 
relics  of  St.  Mark.  Back  of  the  high  altar  is 
another  slab,  with  four  spiral  columns  of  alabaster, 
two  of  which  are  semi-transparent,  and  are  said  to 
have  belonged  to  the  temple  of  Solomon.  In  the 
right  aisle,  near  the  west  portal,  in  the  center,  is  the 
baptistery,  a  large  bronze  fount  made  in  1546,  and 
above  it  is  John  the  Baptist.  The  stone  above  the 
altar  is  said  to  be  from  Mount  Tabor.  Left  of  the 
altar  is  the  heart  of  John  the  Baptist,  a  work  of 
art,  and  beneath  it  the  stone  on  which  he  is  said  to 
have  been  beheaded.  In  the  right  transept  one  enters 


226          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

the  Treasury  of  St.  Mark,  where  is  shown  the  cover  of 
the  Books  of  the  Gospels,  brought  from  the  Church 
of  St.  Sophia,  at  Constantinople,  decorated  with  gold 
and  jewels;  a  crystal  vase  with  the  "blood  of  the 
Saviour;"  a  silver  column,  with  a  fragment  of  the 
"True  Cross;"  a -cup  of  agate,  with  a  portion  of 
the  "skull  of  St.  John;"  an  episcopal  throne  of  the 
seventh  century,  said  to  be  that  of  St.  Mark;  and 
other  equally  curious  things. 

Thus  far  I  have  noticed  some  of  the  most  note- 
worthy objects  within  and  about  this  wonderful 
church,  now  the  Cathedral  of  Venice.  I  have  failed 
to  describe  the  "thousand-and-one"  paintings  which 
also  adorn  it— Bible  history  to  repletion;  every 
prophet,  priest,  and  king;  every  evangelist  arid 
martyr,  and  a  tree  full  of  eager  Zachariahs ;  mothers 
and  children,  clothed  and  unclothed,  without  num- 
ber. At  these  strange  works  of  genius,  trying  to 
express  in  colors  verbal  pictures  from  Holy  Writ,  I 
sat  and  gazed,  while  the  music  was  rolling  through 
vaulted  aisles  and  corridors  and  domes,  and  thou- 
sands on  bended  knees  about  me  were  joining  in  a 
service  lavishly  paid  for  to  help  a  soul  out  of  pur- 
gatory;  while  the  very  Saviour  so  many  times  pict- 
ured above  and  around  us  all,  is  ever  inviting  all  to 
come  to  him,  without  money  and  without  price.  I 
would  find  no  fault  with  all  these  beautiful  churches 
and  their  wonderful  artistic  adornment;  nor  do  I 
wonder  that  in  this  land,  educated  to  it,  these  peo- 
ple are  devout  Catholics.  To  tear  them  away  from 
all  their  beautiful  churches  and  the  service  in  which 
they  take  delight  and  have  faith  will  require  more 
than  mere  human  power.  Nor  can  I  wonder  that 
Oliver  Cromwell,  that  stern  old  Puritan,  when  he 
saw  the  devotion  of  the  people  to  their  churches 
and  works  of  art,  thought  it  needful  to  demolish 
them.  Yet  I  do  not  think  it  would  be  wise  to  make 
a  grand  crusade  against  all  works  of  art.  Rightly 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.        227 

educated,  people  will  learn  that  love  of  the  beauti- 
ful and  love  of  the  holy  are  two  distinct  things,  and 
that  we  may  have  both,  and  so  worship  God  with 
the  heart  and  with  the  understanding.  I  have  seen 
no  church  or  picture  yet  which  I  should  be  willing 
to  bow  before  and  worship.  Yet,  every  day,  as  I 
see  so  much,  in  spirit  I  am  grateful  to  Him  who 
gives  to  men  such  privileges  and  powers. 

GENEVA,  August  2,  1873. 

Once  more  I  find  a  few  moments'  leisure  to  write 
to  friends  4,000  miles  away  and  tell  them  that  since 
last  writing  I  have  been  for  the  best  part  of  five 
days  in  Rome.  Of  this  city  it  is  somewhat  difficult 
to  speak;  for  it  is  "multumin  parvo,"  or  "  e  pluribus 
unumf  i.e.,  there  is  much  in  one  place,  or  there  are 
many  cities  grown  out  of  one.  Hence,  in  a  descrip- 
tion of  Rome,  one  is  led  to  ask,  Which  Rome  shall 
be  described  ?  For  here  is  the  old  pagan  Rome,  as 
founded  by  Romulus,  with  a  portion  of  its  wall 
remaining;  the  very  place  also  where,  in  the  midst 
of  sacred  games  instituted  for  the  purpose,  he 
seized  the  Sabine  virgins,  and  also  the  battle-field 
where,  to  prevent  farther  bloodshed,  these  same 
seized  women  rushed  between  the  armies,  stayed 
the  contest,  formed  a  union  of  Romans  and  Sabines, 
and  so  rendered  the  original  walls  needless.  This 
is  the  Rome  founded  753  years  B.C.,  or,  to  be  exact, 
2,527  years  ago,  on  the  23d  of  last  April.  The  rapid 
growth  of  the  ancient  city  must  be  attributed  greatly 
to  its  situation,  the  most  central  in  the  peninsula, 
alike  adapted  for  a  great  commercial  town  and  for 
the  capital  of  a  vast  empire ;  for  then,  with  small 
vessels,  it  had  large  intercourse  with  the  Mediterra- 
nean. To  describe  this  Rome  is  to  speak  of  it  as  a 
kingdom.  On  the  Palatine  Hill  was  the  walled  city 
of  Rornulus ;  on  the  Quirinal  sprang  up  the  city  of 
the  Sabines,  afterward  united,  as  mentioned  above. 


228          A^MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

each  retaining  its  peculiar  temples  and  sanctuaries, 
with  the  Forum  between  them  and  common  to  both, 
an  assembly  focus  for  the  entire  State.  Around 
these  twin  hills,  on  five  others,  as  suburbs,  exten- 
sive settlements  sprang  up,  increasing  in  population 
both  by  increase  of  business  and  because  conquered 
Latin  towns  were  frequently  transplanted  thither. 
Such  was  the  earliest  Rome.  Out  of  these  mixed 
elements,  a  new  civic  community  took  its  origin  to- 
ward the  close  of  the  period  of  kings;  and  the 
Servian  wall  much  larger  ;  the  remains  of  this  wall 
show  a  moat  without  and  a  rampart  within  of  great 
solidity,  surrounding  the  seven  hills,  some  seven 
miles  in  circumference.  While  thus  strengthening 
the  city  against  invasions  from  without,  the  kings 
were  no  less  anxious  to  embellish  the  interior  with 
handsome  buildings.  To  this  period  belongs  the 
Circus  in  the  valley  between  the  Palatine  and  Aven- 
tine  hills.  The  Circus  is  a  kind  of  a  race-course, 
with  elliptical  course,  in  a  long  valley,  with  seats  on 
each  side  for  spectators,  enough  to  accommodate 
120,000.  Here  took  place  athletic  exercises  and 
various  games  for  the  amusement  of  the  people,  and 
the  exhibitions  of  wild  animals  brought  from  con- 
quered countries.  You  will  remember  that  there 
were  no  pictures  of  animals  then,  as  now,  nor  Bar- 
num's  menagerie,  and  so  the  greatest  curiosity  was 
excited  when  a  victorious  army  from  Asia  or  Africa 
brought  the  wild  animals,  as  well  as  kings  and 
slaves,  and  exhibited  them  to  the  thousands  gath- 
ered on  either  side  the  Circus  to  gratify  their  curi- 
osity and,  no  doubt,  hurrah  for  the  Roman  soldiers 
returning  victorious.  Then,  also,  was  built  the 
Cloaca  Maxima,  or  great  sewer  or  drain,  which 
made  available  the  swampy  site  of  the  Roman 
Forum.  Through  this  massive  construction  we 
could  see  the  rushing  waters,  while  far  above,  and 
over  the  road  of  the  ancient  Forum,  more  modern 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       229 

sewers  are  emptying  the  dirtier  waters  of  a  later 
Rome.  These  grand  developments  of  the  ancient, 
and  still  admired  city,  were  due  to  the  energy  of 
the  Tarquinian  kings,  whose  last  king,  Tarquinius 
Superbus,  was  expelled  in  509.  So  we  have  noticed 
two  Romes,  both  now  the  deep  foundations  of  still 
later  Romes.  Most  of  what  I  now  describe  has 
been  brought  to  light  by  the  last  Napoleon,  who 
purchased  the  gardens  of  the  Palatine  hills,  simply 
that  he  might  excavate,  and  so  certify  himself  of 
facts,  when  he  was  compiling  a  history  of  Cesar. 
After  the  expulsion  of  the  kings  came  the  third 
Rome,  or  the  Republic.  During  the  first  century, 
the  Republic  had  a  hard  time  in  establishing  its 
supremacy,  and  once,  with  the  exception  of  the 
capitol,  was  wholly  destroyed  by  the  Gauls.  It  was 
only  a  transient  loss  to  the  prestige  of  Rome,  but 
produced  a  marked  change  in  the  external  features 
of  the  city.  The  work  of  resurrection  was  begun 
with  zeal  and  pride  of  industry  rather  than  of  beauty; 
for  the  streets  were  narrow  and  crooked,  and  the 
houses  poor  and  unattractive,  and  Rome  was  then 
far  from  being  attractive  or  handsome  as  a  city. 
Her  steady  increase  in  power  could  not  fail  to  have 
a  good  influence  on  her  architecture.  During  this 
period  the  first  aqueduct  was  made,  traces  of  which 
remain,  and  the  first  high  road,  the  Appian  Way. 
Down  to  the  Punic  wars,  Rome  had  not  extended 
beyond  the  walls  of  Servius  Tullius.  The  overthrow 
of  Carthage  made  Rome  the  mistress  of  the  world  ; 
and  the  wall  had  to  give  way  for  new  buildings. 
Speculation  was  now  active,  and  real  estate  and 
rents  greatly  advanced ;  fortunes  were  made,  and 
palaces  were  constructed  with  fabulous  magnificence 
and  luxury.  Claudius,  for  instance,  Cicero's  oppo- 
nent, paid  nearly  $700,000  for  his  palace.  In  the 
last  century  B.C.,  Rome  began  to  .look  like  the 
world's  capital — streets  were  paved,  hitherto  not, 


230          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

and  the  ambition  of  the  opulent  nobles  was  to  erect 
sumptuous  public  buildings,  whereby  to  perpetuate 
their  names.  So  Cato  built  the  first  Basilica,  or 
Court-house,  in  the  Forum.  Remember,  the  Forum 
is  not  a  building,  but  a  large  public  assembly-place, 
where  various  business  was  transacted;  but  con- 
stantly improved  and  adorned  with  works  of  art  and 
the  like ;  then  with  columns  and  arcades,  then  the 
Basilica,  etc.  Theaters  were  all  out  of  doors,  like 
the  Circus,  till  Pompey  founded  the  first  one  of 
stone.  A  change,  from  a  republic  into  a  military 
despotism,  involved  a  new  period  of  architecture. 
Usurpers  generally  exercise  their  energies  in  de- 
stroying the  works  and  monuments  of  their  prede- 
cessors, and  then  try  to  outdo  them,  and  such  were 
Cesar's  plans  ;  and  now,  of  all  the  ruins  of  ancient 
Rome,  the  buildings  of  Augustine  rank  highest  in 
number  and  importance.  Take  the  Pantheon,  for 
instance,  the  only  building  entirely  preserved  of  an- 
cient Rome — a  huge  circular  structure,  with  vast 
colonnades  and  strikingly  imposing  in  aspect;  walls 
of  brick-work,  covered  with  marble  and  stucco, 
formerly  five  steps  above  the  pavement,  it  is  now 
below.  The  portico  has  fifteen  columns  of  granite, 
thirty-eight  feet  high,  eight  in  front;  the  others 
form  three  colonnades,  vaulted  and  terminating  in 
niches  in  which  colossal  statues  of  Augustus  and 
his  son-in-law,  M.  Agrippa,  stood,  with  an  inscrip- 
tion on  the  frieze  showing  the  edifice  was  erected 
B.C.  27.  ft  is  illuminated  wholly  by  an  aperture 
in  the  center  of  the  dome,  producing  so  pleasing  an 
effect  that,  even  in  ancient  times,  it  caused  the  be- 
lief that  the  temple  derived  its  appellation,  Pantheon, 
from  its  resemblance  to  the  vault  of  heaven.  "Within 
were  seven  large  niches,  containing  statues  of  Mars, 
Venus,  Cesar,  etc.  The  entire  roof  was  covered 
with  gilded  bronze  tiles,  which  Constantino  II.  re- 
moved to  Constantinople,  and  Gregory  III.  replaced 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       231 

them  by  lead.  Eleven  thermae,  or  bathing  houses, 
were  also  built,  each  large  enough  for  15,000  bathers, 
with  warm  and  cold  water ;  these  were  huge  build- 
ings, with  magnificent  rooms  in  mosaics  and  marble, 
and  richly  decorated  with  statues  and  paintings. 
We  were  shown  through  the  remains  of  one,  grand 
in  its  ruins,  covering  forty  acres.  During  this  age 
no  less  than  eighty- two  temples  were  restored,  and 
other  works  in  proportion,  so  that  Augustus  boasted 
that  he  found  Rome  a  town  of  brick  and  turned  it 
into  marble.  Up  to  about  one  hundred  years  B.C. 
marble  quarries  were  not  known  near  Rome.  Future 
history  brings  its  destruction,  and  fire  leaves  its 
devastations,  till  again  the  glory  of  Rome  has  de- 
parted, and  the  palaces  of  the  Cesars,  in  their  mighty 
ruins,  remain  to  suggest  their  past  grandeur;  and 
we  get  some  idea  of  Cesar's  ample  palace,  when  we 
learn  that  in  its  completeness  it  occupied  more 
ground  than  all  the  area  inclosed  within  the  city 
walls  first  built  by  Romulus.  I  have  written  thus 
of  early  Rome,  because  as  a  teacher  it  is  Latin,  not 
Italian,  Rome  about  which  we  study,  and  to  which 
reference  is  so  often  made  in  school-books  and 
learned  essays.  We  had  as  guide  Mr.  S.  Wood, 
twenty-two  years  a  resident  of  the  city,  and  one  of 
the  most  reliable  archaeologists  of  the  present  time. 
He  has  watched  the  excavation  during  the  past 
years,  and  could  tell  all  the  history  of  the  past,  and 
how  he  could  tell  by  the  brick  or  by  the  impressions 
to  what  age  any  structure  belonged.  Of  modern 
Rome,  its  365  churches  full  of  old  relics  and  adorned 
with  fine  paintings,  of  the  Coliseum  and  St.  Peter's 
Church,  of  the  Vatican  and  its  magnificent  works  of 
art,  of  its  present  busy  street  life,  this  letter  can  only 
hint;  for  you  know  I  shall  want  something  to  talk 
about  on  my  return.  This  I  can  say  for  the  hotel 
where  we  stay,  we  get  the  least  food  for  the  most 
money  of  any  place  we  have  yet  seen. 


232         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Letter  from  Eev.  C.  W.  Gushing,  President  of  Auburndale 
College,  Massachusetts. 

LONDON,  August  21,  1873. 

To  write  a  letter  upon  Rome  which  shall  give 
even  an  outline  of  the  interesting  ruins  which  have 
been  brought  to  light  by  recent  excavations  would 
make  an  epistle  quite  too  long  for  a  newspaper ;  so 
I  shall  speak  of  but  very  few  of  the  objects  of  in- 
terest upon  which  we  looked  with  wonder.  First 
of  all  I  want  to  dispel  the  popular  illusion  that  it 
is  fatal  to  visit  Rome  in  the  summer  months,  on 
account  of  the  malaria  which  is  so  prevalent  there. 
Our  company,  consisting  of  forty-five  men  and 
women — a  large  majority  of  them  women — went 
from  Florence  to  Rome,  July  25th,  and  left  on  the 
30th.  Daring  these  days  we  were  all  in  perfect 
health,  though  we  disregarded  all  the  precautions 
which  had  been  given  us  in  regard  to  night  air,  and 
remained  out  on  the  Campagna  or  elsewhere  until 
ten  o'clock  at  night,  or  even  later. 

When  we  arrived  in  Rome,  Professor  Shakspeare 
Woods,  who  has  resided  in  Rome  for  twenty-two 
years,  advising  and  encouraging  the  excavations, 
met  us  at  the  hotel,  and  promised  us  every  possible 
assistance  during  our  stay.  He  also  assured  us  that 
we  need  have  no  anxiety  in  regard  to  malaria.  He 
told  us  that,  as  head  of  the  health  department,  he 
had  received  weekly  reports  for  the  last  two  years, 
which  showed  Rome  to  be  the  healthiest  city  in 
Italy,  and  that  there  were  but  two  cities  in  Europe 
as  healthful.  Professor  Woods  is  reputed  the  best 
living  archaeologist,  and  whatever  statements  I  shall 
make  in  regard  to  the  ruins  of  Rome  will  be  upon 
his  authority.  He  assured  us  that  whatever  state- 
ments he  should  make  concerning  the  age  and  iden- 
tity of  these  ruins  would  be  upon  authority  and 
evidence  which  were  unquestionable.  With  these 
assurances  we  started  on  our  explorations,  with  him 


LETTER  FROM  REV.  C.  W.  GUSHING.        233 

for  our  guide,  at  seven  o'clock  in  the  morning  of 
the  28th  of  July,  and  continued  with  him  two  full 
days. 

Our  first  point  was  the  ancient  palaces  of  the 
Cesars,  one  of  the  principal  parts  of  which  is  the 
Palace  of  Tiberius.  This  palace  was  enlarged  and 
changed  by  successive  emperors,  until  it  covered  an 
area  which  is  almost  fabulous.  The  location  is  on 
the  ancient  Palatine,  the  spot  on  which  ancient 
Rome  was  founded  on  the  23d  of  April,  2,627  years 
ago. 

In  looking  at  these  ruins,  one  is  impressed  at  the 
outset  with  the  grandeur  of  the  old  Roman  charac- 
ter. The  public  buildings  were  on  a  scale  of  mag- 
nificence never  equaled.  Bat  they  are  buildings 
upon  buildings.  Indeed,  Rome  is  a  city  upon  cities. 

Standing  on  the  Palatine,  three  arches  mark  the 
site  of  the  old  Basilica  of  Constantine,  which  was 
erected  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  Temple  of  Peace. 
Before  you,  looking  southward  into  the  valley 
below,  was  the  great  Circus  Maximus,  between  the 
Palatine  and  Aventine,  where  the  games  of  Romulus 
took  place.  The  building  would  accommodate 
485,000  persons.  Here  was  where  the  rape  of  the 
Sabines  took  place.  JN"ear  this,  on  the  Palatine,  is 
the  famous  Arch  of  Titus. 

The  ruins  of  the  house  of  Domitian  were  trav- 
ersed; also  the  great  entrance  hall,  where  emperors 
after  Domitian  received  embassadors.  Portions  of 
the  beautiful  marble  floor  still  remain.  Lying  about 
in  different  directions  were  portions  of  the  immense 
porphyry  columns  which  were  in  the  adjoining 
dining-room.  In  a  large  open  court,  into  which  the 
dining-room  opened  by  spacious  windows,  were  the 
remains  of  large  fountains,  elaborate  in  plan  and 
profuse  with  ornament,  which  were  kept  in  play  to 
cool  the  air  in  the  dining-room.  The  pavement  in 
the  room  of  the  fountains,  portions  of  which  still 


234          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

remain,  was  of  Oriental  alabaster.  Near  this  were 
the  remains  of  the  house  of  Augustus.  The  walls 
on  which  the  foundations  of  these  buildings  rested 
were  of  great  height,  often  seventy-five  to  a  hun- 
dred feet,  built  up  from  the  valley  below,  arid  of 
immense  thickness.  They  were  strengthened  by 
arches,  which  were  built  in  all  through  them.  The 
bricks  in  these  walls  are  as  perfect  as  when  first  laid. 

From  this  point,  in  full  view  just  over  the  hill, 
was  the  Appian  Way,  and  the  gate  where  Paul 
entered  Home.  To  see  it,  we  stood  on  the  ground 
floor  of  the  portico,  built  by  the  Emperor  Septimus 
Severus,  two  hundred  years  A.C.,  for  the  purpose 
of  extending  his  palace.  It  was  at  least  seventy 
feet  above  the  valley  below.  One  room  was  found 
in  this  palace  which  was  originally  lined  entirely 
with  silver,  set  with  gems. 

Near  this  were  portions  of  the  original  wall  built 
by  Romulus,  soon  after  founding  Rome.  The  walls 
are  very  thick,  built  of  stone — mostly  tufa — fitting 
very  closely,  and  laid  without  mortar.  Recent  ex- 
cavations have  removed  all  doubts  from  the  minds 
of  archaeologists  in  regard  to  the  founding  of  Rome, 
and  have  confirmed  the  statement  so  long  regarded 
mythical,  that  Romulus  was  the  real  founder  of 
Rome. 

In  the  ruins  of  the  Palace  of  the  Emperor  Cali- 
gula, the  stucco  on  the  ceilings,  and  a  marble  rail- 
ing forming  a  balustrade  to  a  balcony,  were  very 
perfect  and  beautiful.  The  large  portico  where 
Caligula  used  to  walk  sleepless  nights  is  still  com- 
plete, and  the  original  mosaic  pavements  are  well 
preserved. 

We  next  entered  the  house  of  Tiberius  Claudius 
Nero,  the  father  of  the  Emperor  Nero,  built  one 
hundred  years  B.C.,  and  anterior  to  the  Palace  of 
the  Cesars.  The  paintings  on  the  walls  are  very 
perfect.  In  many  instances  the  colors  are  as  rich 


LETTER  FROM  REV.  C.  W.  GUSHING.        235 

and  brilliant,  and  the  features  on  the  faces  as  per- 
fect, as  if  painted  yesterday.  There  is  no  marble  in 
this  building,  as  it  was  not  used  for  building  pur- 
poses until  one  hundred  years  A.C.  The  wreaths 
of  fruit  and  flowers,  with  elaborate  friezes,  are  still 
fresh  and  beautiful,  though  they  have  been  buried 
for  centuries.  These  private  buildings  have  been 
exhumed  within  a  few  years,  some  of  them  within 
a  few  months,  from  beneath  the  foundation  of  the 
Palace  of  the  Emperors.  They  were  filled  up  in 
order  to  raise  the  foundations  to  a  greater  height. 

The  palace,  or  palaces  of  the  successive  emperors, 
which  were  erected  upon  these  foundations,  covered 
at  least  thirty  acres.  The  marble  and  granite  of 
which  they  were  built  were  all  brought  from  Egypt. 

The  Baths  of  Caracalla  were  next  visited.  These 
were  built  by  the  emperor  whose  name  they  bear, 
216  A.C.,  entirely  for  the  use  of  the  people.  They 
accommodated  1,600  persons  at  once.  There  were 
eleven  of  these  baths  in  the  city,  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  people.  The  floors  and  walls  of  this 
one  were  covered  with  the  most  beautiful  marble. 
Its  size  was  750  by  500  feet,  inclosed  by  walls  one- 
fourth  of  a  mile  in  length,  and  containing  forty 
acres.  Besides  every  kind  of  bath,  from  Turkish  to 
swimming,  there  were  gardens,  a  stadium,  and 
rooms  for  exercise  and  intellectual  culture.  The 
methods  of  heating  the  rooms  and  baths  were  fully 
as  perfect  as  those  of  the  best  baths  of  modern 
times.  The  niches  in  the  walls  were  filled  with 
statues  of  the  most  beautiful  workmanship.  The 
celebrated  statue  of  Hercules  leaning  on  his  club 
was  found  here.  Many  of  the  best  statues  now 
scattered  through  Europe  were  taken  from  these 
ruins.  Shelley's  Prometheus  unbound  was  written 
on  the  overhanging  point,  at  least  sixt}T  feet  above 
where  we  were  standing.  I  measured  the  brick 
walls  and  arches,  and  found  that  they  were  five  feet 


236          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

and  nine  inches  in  thickness.  On  each  story  was  a 
floor  in  porphyry,  serpentine,  and  marble,  wrought 
in  most  beautiful  figures  of  mosaic.  Scattered 
through  the  rooms  here  and  there  were  immense 
porphyry  columns,  brought  from  Egypt.  For  the 
foundation  of  these  baths,  Caracalla  tilled  in  and 
destroyed  villas  two  stories  high,  the.  ruins  of  which 
are  apparent  by  the  excavations  which  are  still  going 
on.  The  workmen  were  uncovering  large  columns 
and  rare  statues  the  day  we  were  there. 

We  next  visited  the  Coliseum.  These  are  the 
most  perfect  ruins  in  Eome.  Although  the  stones 
and  brick  have  been  removed  from  this  magnificent 
old  building  for  centuries  almost  without  limit, 
until  not  more  than  one- third  of  it  now  remains, 
still  the  value  of  the  material  remaining  is  esti- 
mated by  an  architect  at  one-half  million  pounds 
sterling,  or  two  and  a  half  millions  of  dollars.  All 
of  the  365  churches  of  modern  Rome  were  built 
out  of  the  ruins  of  ancient  Rome,  and  all  the  statu- 
ary in  these  churches  was  taken  from  these  ancient 
buildings,  and  the  Coliseum  furnished  its  full  share. 

Barbarina  Palace,  with  all  its  ornaments,  was 
built  entirely  from  the  Coliseum.  In  the  seven- 
teenth century,  Pope  Benedictine  XIV.  built  all 
around  upon  the  inside  of  it  little  stations  or  chapels, 
and  dedicated  it  to  Christ  and  the  blood  of  all  the 
martyrs,  so  that  it  became  sacred,  since  which  the 
vandalism  has  ceased. 

The  Coliseum  was  built  by  order  of  the  Emperor 
Flavius  Vespasian,  on  the  site  of  the  stagnum  of 
Nero's  garden.  It  was  built  originally  for  the 
exhibition  of  wild  animals  brought  from  different 
countries  as  trophies  of  war.  It  was  opened  by 
games  of  one  hundred  days,  in  which  5,000  wild 
beasts  were  slain.  These  were  driven  around  the 
ring  and  then  slain  in  sight  of  the  spectators.  In 
later  days  these  beasts  were  made  to  fight  together, 


LETTER  FROM  REV,  C.  "W.  GUSHING.        237 

and  then  with  gladiators.  There  were  large  rollers 
all  around  the  outside  of  the  ring,  so  that  when  the 
beasts  attempted  to  jump  out  they  would  inevitably 
be  rolled  back. 

The  building  was  a  masterpiece  of  architectural 
skill,  both  in  plan  and  construction.  Its  form  is  an 
oval,  1,900  feet,  or  nearly  two-fifths  of  a  mile  in  cir- 
cumference. Its  greatest  diameter  is  658  feet,  and 
its  shortest  558,  while  its  height  was  202  feet.  The 
seats,  which  were  arranged  around  the  building, 
tier  above  tier,  each  tier  receding  from  the  one  be- 
low it,  were  covered,  wherever  it  was  desirable,  by 
an  awning,  which  rested  upon  masts  fastened  to  the 
walls.  The  building  rested  upon  rows  of  arches, 
through  which  were  the  entrances.  There  were 
eighty  of  these  entrances,  so  that  the  building  could 
be  emptied  in  the  shortest  possible  space  of  time. 
The  outside  tier  of  these  arches  was  of  stone  and 
the  rest  of  brick.  On  measuring  the  piers  on  which 
these  arches  rested,  I  found  them  to  be  nine  feet 
square. 

The  building  seated  87,000  persons,  and  furnished 
standing  room  for  20,000  more.  This  makes  modern 
coliseums  look  small,  and  yet  the  seats  were  so  ar- 
ranged that  every  person  in  the  building  could  see 
what  was  taking  place  in  every  part  of  the  ring 
below.  The  whole  of  the  outside  tier  of  arches  was 
taken  away,  excepting  a  small  place  on  the  north- 
east side,  before  the  stripping  was  forbidden.  One 
stands  amazed  before  the  ruins  of  such  buildings, 
and  wonders  at  the  public  enterprise  which  con- 
structed such  magnificent  monuments.  We  think 
of  the  men  who  could  accomplish  such  marvelous 
works  more  as  a  race  of  demigods  than  of  men. 

The  ruins  of  the  Golden  Palace  of  Nero  on  the 
Esquiline,  next  claimed  our  attention.  This  is  far 
removed  from  the  other  palaces  of  the  emperors ; 
and  yet  constitutes  a  part  of  the  great  palace,  and 


238          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

was  connected  with  them  by  underground  passages. 
This  building  is  nearly  1,800  years  old.  It  was  built 
in  matchless  magnificence.  The  ceiling  of  the 
dining-room  was  made  to  revolve,  so  as  to  shower 
perfumes  on  the  heads  of  the  guests  as  they  sat  at 
the  table.  Trajan  filled  this  building  with  rubbish 
and  arches,  which  he  built  all  through  it,  regardless 
of  its  magnificence,  to  make  a  foundation  for  his 
baths,  which  he  built  on  top  of  it.  The  baths  have 
been  demolished  for  centuries,  and  a  vegetable  gar- 
den flourishes  on  the  site,  while  the  ruins  of  this 
golden  palace,  which  have  been  buried  and  for- 
gotten for  ages,  are  just  brought  to  light.  Some 
of  the  frescoes  on  the  ceiling  are  still  very  brilliant, 
and  the  figures  are  surprisingly  perfect.  The  build- 
ing is  of  immense  proportions,  and  the  walls  very 
high. 

Another  class  of  ruins  is  of  special  interest  to 
Christians.  Among  these  stands  first  the  Church 
of  St.  Clement.  This  is  of  the  Basilican  form,  and 
very  antique.  It  has  been  supposed,  since  the  time 
of  Jerome  until  within  fifteen  years,  that  this  was 
the  church  built  upon  the  house  of  Clement.  But 
by  excavations  it  was  found  that  there  was  another 
church  under  this  ;  and  a  large  church,  complete  in 
every  part,  with  the  most  elaborate  frescoes,  and 
paintings  representing  scenes  in  Christian  history 
well  known  to  the  fathers,  all  preserved  with  almost 
miraculous  perfection,  was  brought  to  light,  directly 
under  the  church  in  which  they  had  worshiped  for 
centuries.  Many  of  the  rooms  in  this  old  church 
have  been  entirely  cleared,  so  that  we  could  wander 
through  them  with  our  wax  tapers  without  any  ob- 
struction. The  paintings  and  mottoes  on  the  walls 
prove  beyond  doubt  that  this  is  the  original  church 
of  St.  Clement. 

But  it  was  known  that  this  church  was  built  upon 
the  house  of  St.  Clement.  So  with  our  wax  tapers 


LETTER  FROM  REV.  C.  W.  GUSHING.        239 

we  prepared  again  to  descend,  and  soon  found  our- 
selves wandering  through  the  damp  halls  of  the  very 
house  where  Paul  was  entertained  by  St.  Clement. 
In  it  was  the  prison-like  chapel  in  which  they 
doubtless  worshiped  before  the  erection  of  the 
church.  This  was  subsequently  confiscated,  and 
consecrated  to  the  worship  of  Mithorias.  The  altar 
still  stands  in  the  center,  on  which  are  the  carvings 
representing  this  worship. 

Here,  then,  is  an  ancient  church,  standing  upon 
the  top  of  another  church,  and  this  upon  the  top  of 
what  was  once  a  private  house,  and  all  in  the  most 
perfect  state  of  preservation. 

And  this  is  a  brief  glance  at  some  points  of  inter- 
est in  ancient  Rome  as  it  is  to-day.  What  Rome 
will  be,  time  and  work  only  can  tell. 


240         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Switzerland — From  Home  to  Geneva — Scenes  by  the  wayside 
— The  indescribable  splendor  of  the  Alps — On  the  shores  of 
Lake  Geneva. 

GENEVA,  August  2,  1873. 

I  WROTE  you  the  morning  we  left  Rome,  inclosing 
the  publication  of  the  pope,  issued  the  day  pre- 
vious. Some  of  our  party  were  not  well  pleased 
with  the  hotel  there,  and  knowing  they  were  to  have 
no  dinner  until  we  arrived  at  Pisa,  at  nine  o'clock 
that  night,  were  disposed  to  make  a  "square  meal" 
of  their  breakfast.  You  must  bear  in  mind  that 
only  one  kind  of  meat  (beef)  is  furnished  for  break- 
fast. It  is  cut  up  in  pieces  about  three  inches  long 
and  two  wide.  One  of  these  is  all  that  is  allowed 
one  person.  Those  who  took  more  had  to  pay  extra 
for  it — one  of  them,  five  francs.  The  fact  is,  their 
whole  system  seems  to  be  to  furnish  as  little  as  pjos- 
sible,  and  get  as  much  for  it  as  they  can.  Notwith- 
standing the  heat,  we  would  like  to  have  remained  a 
day  or  two  longer  in  this  city.  Our  time  is  out,  and 
we  are  off  in  a  circuitous  route  around  the  suburbs, 
recognizing  the  pyramid  at  the  Protestant  cemetery, 
St.  Paul's  Church,  and  the  place  where  he  was  be- 
headed. 

The  country,  after  we  leave  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  Rome  on  this  route,  is  very  poor.  The  mount- 
ains on  one  side,  and  the  Mediterranean  on  the 
other,  with  the  fine  sea-breeze,  made  it  a  very  pleas- 
ant trip.  "We  pass  the  island  of  Corsica,  where  the 


PISA — THE  CATHEDRAL — LEANING  TOWER.    241 

great  man  whose  influence  was  felt  all  over  this 
country  was  born;  also,  the  island  of  Elba,  where 
he  spent  some  time  after  his  reverses,  previous  to 
his  final  overthrow.  Here,  too,  another  man  of  dis- 
tinction arises.  The  discoverer  of  America  was 
born  at  Genoa.  We  stop  awhile  at  Leghorn,  one 
of  the  most  pleasant  cities  in  Europe.  It  is  the 
great  emporium  of  foreign  goods  and  manufactures 
consumed  in  this  part  of  Italy.  The  squares  and 
streets  are  regular  and  well  paved,  clean  and  nice. 
We  spend  the  night  at  Pisa,  one  of  the  most  ancient 
and  beautiful  cities  in  Europe.  Soon  after  break- 
fast we  take  carriages  to  see  the  four  great  sights  of 
the  city. 

The  Cathedral  was  begun  in  1063.  It  is  of  the 
nave  form,  and  double  aisles,  two  hundred  and 
ninety-two  feet  in  length,  with  galleries  over  the 
aisles.  The  dome  is  of  white  marble,  with  black 
and  colored  ornamentation.  The  church  was  con- 
secrated by  Pope  Gelasius  II.,  in  1118.  There  are 
a  number  of  fine  paintings,  and  some  superb  mo- 
saic-work. The  refitting  commenced  in  1153,  but 
was  not  completed  till  1278.  It  is  a  beautiful  struc- 
ture of  marble,  of  circular  form,  surmounted  by  a 
conical  dome  one  hundred  and  seventy-four  feet 
high.  The  interior  rests  on  eight  columns  and  four 
pillars,  adorned  with  beautiful  marble  rosettes.  The 
pulpit,  which  is  said  to  be  the  finest  in  the  world,  is 
borne  by  seven  columns,  representing  the  Annunci- 
ation, Nativity,  Adoration,  Presentation,  Crucifix- 
ion, Last  Judgment,  and  Martyrdom  of  John  the 
Baptist.  The  place  for  baptizing,  both  for  adults 
and  infants,  is  a  most  wonderful  piece  of  work- 
manship, brought  from  Constantinople. 

The  Tower,  commenced  in  1174,  and  completed 

in  1350,  rises  in  eight  stories,  with  half  columns  and 

colonnades.     Its  oblique  position  (twelve  feet)  out 

of  the  perpendicular  height  (one  hundred  and  fif- 

11 


242          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

teen  feet)  gives  it  the  name  of  the  Leaning  Tower. 
We  ascended  by  two  hundred  and  ninety-four  steps 
to  the  top,  where  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  city  and 
its  environs — the  sea  to  the  west,  and  mountains  on 
the  east.  The  tower  contains  six  bells,  one  of  them 
weighing  six  tons,  suspended  on  the  side  opposite 
the  overhanging  wall  of  the  tower. 

The  Campa  Santa,  or  burying-ground  near  by, 
was  founded  between  1188  and  1200.  After  the 
loss  of  the  Holy  Land,  the  Archbishop  brought  fifty- 
three  ships'  load  of  earth  from  Mount  Calvary,  in 
order  that  the  dead  might  repose  in  holy  ground. 
The  tombstones  form  the  pavement  around  the 
tombs  or  vaults,  out  of  which  the  bodies  had  been 
taken.  The  sarcophagi  are  inscribed  with  the  names 
of  persons  who  once  occupied  them,  some  of  whom 
were  royal  Romans.  On  the  walls  are  some  of  the 
largest  paintings  I  have  ever  seen,  among  which 
are  Paradise,  Purgatory,  The  Last  Judgment,  Hell, 
and  others — the  three  latter  being  most  frightful  to 
look  upon. 

Pisa  became  a  Roman  colony  180  years  before 
the  Christian  era.  In  the  middle  ages  it  attained 
considerable  eminence,  and  became  the  rival  of 
Venice  and  Genoa.  It  has  now  only  about  fifty 
thousand  inhabitants. 

The  country  from  here  to  Florence  is  beautiful — 
mountains  on  either  side,  with  a  valley  highly  culti- 
vated with  olives  and  vegetables.  We  dine  at  Flo- 
rence, and  are  off  in  the  evening  for  Turin.  For 
some  distance  the  country  is  very  hilly,  with  nu- 
merous tunnels,  after  passing  which  we  emerge  out 
in  a  fine  country,  perhaps  the  most  productive  in 
Italy. 

This  place  was  founded  by  Hannibal,  B.C.  218. 
It  was  formerly  the  capital  of  Italy.  From  1859  to 
1865  the  king  resided  here.  It  is  evidently  on  the 
decline.  It  has,  however,  a  fine  old  university,  with 


OFF  FOR  SWITZERLAND.  243 

two  thousand  students.  It  has  an  obelisk  seventy- 
four  feet  high,  erected  in  1854  to  commemorate  the 
abolition  of  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  and  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  Constitution,  and  was  erected 
with  the  consent  of  the  king  and  chambers.  The 
names  of  all  the  towns  and  provinces  which  voted 
for  the  suppression  of  the  Spiritual  Courts  are  in- 
scribed on  the  column. 

Here  we  can  see  the  cloud-capped  mountains, 
covered  with  snow,  and  the  smoke  ascending  from 
the  summits  of  a  number  of  them,  and  the  white 
clouds  hanging  around  them — all  together  forming 
a  spectacle  that  is  inexpressibly  grand  and  beautiful. 

The  bell  rings  for  breakfast,  and  I  leave  this  for 
another  time. 

Being  desirous  of  writing  up  to  this  place,  I  re- 
sume. 

We  pass  Chamborg,  the  capital  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  Savoy,  with  twenty  thousand  inhabitants. 
It  was  here  that,  in  1248,  a  great  land-slide  de- 
scended and  overwhelmed  sixteen  villages.  This 
portion  of  the  Alps  is  where  Napoleon  built  a  road 
in  1802;  and  it  has  been  the  principal  channel  of 
communication  between  France  and  Italy,  and  is 
one  of  the  safest  of  the  Alpine  passes.  The  sum- 
mit is  6,848  feet  above  the  sea-level.  "We  pass 
through  Mont  Cenis  tunnel,  which  is  the  longest  in 
the  world,  being  eight  and  one-eighth  miles.  It 
took  us  about  half  an  hour  to  run  through  it.  It 
was  built  by  the  French  and  Italian  Governments. 
The  latter  progressed  more  rapidly,  owing  to  the 
softer  nature  of  the  rock,  and  completed  their  por- 
tion in  November,  1869,  while  on  the  French  side 
it  was  not  finished  till  1871.  It  is  the  grandest  un- 
dertaking of  modern  times.  It  is  lit  up  so  that  you 
can  see  the  sides  and  the  arch  above. 

You  can  see  the  crystal  streams  leaping  from 
these  mountains,  hundreds  of  feet,  almost  perpen- 


244          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

dicularly,  from  the  melting  snow  above.  Alto- 
gether, it  is  the  grandest  display  of  "mountain 
upon  mountain  pilecl"  that  I  have  ever  seen.  Some- 
times the  fleecy  clouds  which  hang  around  their 
summits  seem  to  mingle  with  them  in  delightful 
splendor,  picturesquely  magnificent.  No  words  can 
adequately  describe  this  Alpine  country. 

As  we  pass  into  Switzerland  an  officer  of  the 
government  demands  our  passports.  This  is  the 
first  time  they  have  been  called  for.  In  looking  for 
mine  he  saw  a  letter  addressed  to  me,  and  asked 
me  if  that  was  my  name,  which  was  all  he  required. 
On  entering  France,  a  few  hours  before,  we  simply 
told  the  officer  we  had  them,  when  he  examined,  or 
rather  marked,  our  baggage.  For  the  last  two  or 
three  days  we  have  found  a  crowd  of  travelers. 
Most  of  them,  I  believe,  are  Americans,  sight-see- 
ing, and  traveling  for  health. 

We  arrived  at  this  place  last  night,  and  are  pleas- 
antly situated  at  the  Hotel  de  Eusse,  within  a  few 
feet  of  the  lake.  Eev.  Dr.  Speer  and  myself  have 
a  room  opening  on  the  lake,  which  is  as  clear  as 
crystal,  and  running  as  rapidly  as  a  mill-tail.  It  is 
forty-five  miles  long,  and  varies  in  width  from  one 
and  one-half  to  eight  and  one-half  miles,  containing 
an  area  of  two  hundred  and  sixty  square  miles.  At 
this  point  the  lake  emerges  into  the  Rhone,  which 
causes  the  rapid-  current,  as  it  is  only  about  two 
hundred  yards  wide  opposite  our  hotel.  The  river 
divides  the  city  into  two  halves,  which  are  connected 
by  six  bridges.  The  lake  is  surrounded  by  mount- 
ains towering  away  up  among  the  clouds.  I  stand 
in  my  door  and  look  away  in  the  distance,  and  see 
Mont  Blanc,  with  the  smoke  ascending  from  its 
summit.  This  is  a  grand  old  town — not  much  to 
attract  attention  in  the  way  of  cathedrals,  statuary, 
and  painting;  but  it  has  JN"ature's  sublime  attrac- 
tions spread  all  around,  above  and  below,  with  a 


GENEVA — WATCHMAKING.  245 

cool,  refreshing  breeze  from  the  lake,  invigorating 
the  body,  and  cheering  to  us,  who  have  been  in 
Italy  ten  or  twelve  days,  and  for  the  last  twenty-six 
hours  on  the  road.  This  is  the  most  inviting  place 
we  have  seen  in  Europe.  Then  the  government 
and  people  are  what  we  desired  to  see.  They  seem 
to  be  more  like  Americans  at  the  hotel  than  at  any 
place  we  have  been.  We  met  here  another  section 
of  the  party,  who  are  to  leave  this  evening;  also, 
Brother  With erspoon,  who  has  been  in  Switzerland 
while  we  went  to  Italy.  His  health  is  greatly  im- 
proved. 

My  sheet  is  full ;  so  I  will  close,  leaving  what  I 
may  have  to  say  of  Geneva  until  after  I  go  out  to 
look  around  at  it  from  other  points  than  the  eleva- 
tion of  the  seventh  story  of  the  hotel  on  the  lake. 

Picturesque  Switzerland — The  watches  and  music-boxes  of 
Geneva — Rambles  afoot. 

GENEVA,  August  4, 1873. 

I  wrote  on  Saturday,  giving  some  items  about 
this  place.  Having  gone  over  the  place,  I  sketch 
some  things  I  saw  before  leaving  here. 

Geneva  is  celebrated  for  its  watches  and  musical 
boxes.  The  watchmakers  have  the  greatest  repute 
of  any  in  the  world.  We  got  a  ticket  of  admission 
to  enter  one  of  the  most  extensive  manufactories,  to 
see  the  process  of  making  watches,  from  the  com- 
mencement to  the  completion  of  them.  This  estab- 
lishment employs  over  three  thousand  hands.  Each 
man  has  his  special  work  to  do.  They  carry  one 
thousand  watches  through  at  the  same  time,  all  pre- 
cisely the  same  size,  each  watch  containing  about 
one  hundred  and  fifty  pieces.  This  manufactory  is 
well  worth  seeing. 

We  also  went  to  the  music-box  manufactory. 
The  works  are  not  very  large,  but  require  great 
skill  and  genius  to  make  what  they  do. 


246          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 

This  city  was  the  residence  of  John  Calvin  after 
the  reformed  religion  was4  established  by  law.  At 
the  Academy,  founded  by  him,  is  a  reading-room 
containing  thirty  thousand  volumes. 

Here,  also,  was  the  residence  of  Voltaire. 

The  arbitrators  of  the  Alabama  claims,  between 
England  and  America,  sat  here  last  year,  holding 
their  meetings  in  the  Turn  Halle. 

Saturday  evening  we  walked  up  the  lake  some  dis- 
tance, where  we  had  a  better  view  of  the  mountain 
scenery,  especially  Mont  Blanc.  It  is  perfectly 
white,  as  it  is  covered  with  snow.  It  is  outside  of 
Switzerland,  on  the  border  of  French  Savoy  and 
Italy.  It  is  among  the  highest  points  in  Europe 

This  is,  no  doubt,  one  of  the  most  healthy  coun- 
tries to  be  found,  and  is  a  great  place  of  resort  by 
travelers.  From  the  number  of  American  hotels 
and  newspapers  here,  one  can  scarcely  realize  that 
he  is  so  far  away  from  home.  There  are  quite  a 
number  of  boats  running  in  the  lake,  making  trips 
to  different  points  at  regular  intervals. 

The  city  has  wide,  well-paved  streets,  kept  very 
clean.  I  passed  through  the  manufacturing  por- 
tion, and  found  it  to  be  kept  in  fine  order.  Take  it 
all  together,  it  is  the  most  romantic,  picturesque 
city  we  have  seen.  The  commingling  of  mountain 
and  lake,  snow  and  green  foliage,  streets  extending 
across  lake  and  river,  bath-houses  and  washerwomen, 
islands  and  shrubbery,  with  a  busy  multitude  by 
day  and  night,  is  beautifully  spread  out  from  where 
I  write.  The  rising  and  setting  sun  is  never  seen 
here,  because  of  the  mountains  rising  far  away 
above  the  horizon,  nor  does  it  shine  so  intensely  as 
in  Italy. 

Sabbath  morning  a  number  of  our  party  started, 
soon  after  breakfast,  to  hear  Pere  Hyacinthe  preach. 
After  missing  our  way  several  times,  we  found  the 
place,  but  missed  the  preacher,  as  he  did  not  ofli- 


RELIGIOUS  SERVICES  IN  GENEVA.  247 

ciate  yesterday.  We  then  went  to  the  Greek-Rus- 
sian Church;  but  there  was  no  service.  Most  of 
the  party  returned  to  the  hotel.  I  found  a  Walden- 
sian  service,  after  which  I  went  to  the  English 
church.  There  was  but  a  small  congregation.  Dr. 
Gray,  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Scotland, 
preached  there  at  twelve  o'clock  to  some  sixty  or 
seventy  persons,  nearly  all  Americans  or  English. 
Bishop  Foster,  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
who  had  been  holding  a  Conference  in  Germany, 
was  there.  I  had  known  him  for  many  years,  and 
was  glad  to  meet  him.  This  was  John  Calvin's 
Church,  where  he  preached  and  where  he  lived. 
His  chair  is  kept  as  a  sacred  relic.  There  were 
quite  a  number  of  ministers  who  sat  down  in  it. 
On  our  way  to  the  hotel  we  went  into  the  American 
Episcopal  Church.  The  Sabbath  is  better  observed 
here  than  at  any  place  we  have  been  in  Europe. 

From  all  I  can  see  and  learn,  Protestants  are 
doing  very  little  in  this  country.  We  have  attended 
their  service  everywhere,  but  have  never  seen  any 
place  where  they  seem  to  be  effecting  any  thing  of 
consequence.  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  a  Meth- 
odist minister;  but  he  had  no  service  yesterday. 

The  people  here  have  more  liberal  views  of  poli- 
tics and  religion  than  in  any  place  we  have  been. 
Civil  and  religious  liberty  are  enjoyed  here,  perhaps, 
to  a  greater  extent  than  under  any  of  the  other  Eu- 
ropean governments.  They  seem  to  be  an  intelli- 
gent, industrious  people;  but  they  have  but  little 
territory,  and  that,  to  a  great  extent,  mountainous. 
There  is  no  room  for  expansion.  If  half  of  them 
would  come  to  our  country,  they  would  improve 
themselves  and  give  more  room  to  those  who  re- 
main. It  seems  to  me,  if  proper  efforts  were  made, 
thousands  of  them  would  go  where  their  energies 
would  have  room  for  development,  and  their  genius 
be  appreciated. 


248          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

"We  leave  on  a  lake  boat  after  breakfast  for  Lau- 
sanne, thence  by  rail  to  Berne. 

Beautiful  Berne — The  Swiss  love  of  home — Life  and  habits 
of  the  Bernese— The  wonderful  clock  of  1191— The 
Lake  of  Geneva. 

BERNE,  SWITZERLAND,  August  5,  1873. 

We  had  a  most  delightful  sail  up  Geneva  Lake. 
The  mountains  slope  down  to  the  valley,  which  is 
in  the  highest  state  of  cultivation.  We  pass  several 
villages  which  look  like  they  had  seen  several  cen- 
turies pass  over  them.  The  lake  is  of  a  deep  blue 
color,  and  is  said  to  have  twenty  different  kinds  of 
fish,  highly  esteemed  by  the  people.  This  beautiful 
lake  has  been  the  theme  of  writers  for  centuries. 
The  magnolia  and  the  cedar  grow  in  great  luxu- 
riance, while  the  vine-clad  hills  look  beautiful  to 
their  summits.  One  of  the  Rothschilds  has  a  fine 
residence  here.  At  Aven  is  an  ancient  castle  of 
Roman  style,  with  five  towers,  built  in  the  twelfth 
century.  We  leave  the  steamer  at  Lausanne,  capital 
of  the  Canton  de  Vand,  26,000  population.  It  is 
most  delightfully  situated  on  the  terraced  slopes. 
Mont  Josat  overshadows  it  by  its  cathedral  on  one 
side,  and  its  castle  on  the  other. 

The  Swiss  Homes. — There  we  take  the  cars ;  and 
such  a  country  we  have  never  seen  before,  and 
never  expect  to  see  again.  The  steep  and  lofty 
mountains  and  valleys,  all  covered  with  evergreens 
or  cultivated  with  vines,  vegetables,  or  grain,  with 
the  sloping  valleys,  giving  views  sometimes  as  far 
as  the  eye  can  reach,  become  grander.  As  the  train 
proceeds,  the  amphitheater  of  mountains,  like  a 
magnificent  panorama,  passes  before  you  in  such 
rapid  succession,  that  one  can  scarcely  realize  the  fact 
that  it  is  not  an  illusion.  Having  exhausted  my 
vocabulary  of  description,  I  cease  to  attempt  it  by 
saying,  no  wonder  the  Swiss  love  their  mountain 


AN  ARCADIAN  CITY.  249 

home,  and  that  their  officers,  in  time  of  war,  will 
not  suffer  their  songs  to  be  sung  while  away  from 
them. 

We  arrive  at  Berne,  and  find  a  fine  hotel.  At 
Geneva,  Rev.  Dr.  Speer  and  myself  were  in  the 
seventh  story,  where  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  lake 
and  mountains.  Here,  our  room  is  on  the  first  story, 
and  yet  we  are  one  hundred  feet  above  the  valley. 
We  look  over  the  tops  of  the  houses,  and  see  the 
sloping  mountains  in  the  distance,  and  near  by  the 
Swiss  cottages  with  their  busy  occupants.  We  arrive 
a  little  before  5  o'clock,  and  some  of  our  party  saw 
the  first  striking  of  the  great  clock,  of  which  I  will 
speak  before  I  close. 

An  Arcadian  City.— This  city  joined  the  Confed- 
eracy in  1353,  and  is  still  the  most  important  of  the 
Swiss  Cantons.  It  is  built  on  a  peninsula  of  sand- 
stone rock,  formed  by  the  windings  of  the  Aar. 
The  houses  are  built  on  arcades,  in  the  principal 
part  of  the  city,  beneath  which  the  pavement  for 
foot-passengers  runs.  We  took  walks  in  several 
directions,  and  find  the  stores,  shops,  and  dwellings 
all  have  these  arcades.  The  men  work  here,  and 
the  women  sew  and  do  their  work  here,  and  here 
the  children  play.  It  seems  that  this  is  the  place 
where  they  have  light  and  air.  Along  their  streets 
at  suitable  distances  are  fountains,  where  they  all 
obtain  their  supply  of  water  near  their  houses. 
These  fountains  are  adorned  with  statues.  The 
bear — the  heraldic  emblem  of  Berne — is  a  con- 
stantly recurring  object.  Bruin  appears  equipped 
with  shield,  sword,  banner,  and  helmet. 

Two  gigantic  bears  keep  guard  over  the  pillars 
of  the  west  gate.  Others  support  a  shield  in  the 
pediment  of  the  corn-hall,  which,  till  1830,  always 
contained  a  store  of  corn,  in  case  of  famine,  beneath 
a  spacious  wine-cellar.  A  whole  troop  of  bears  go 
through  a  performance  at  the  clock-tower.  At 
11* 


250        A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE, 

three  minutes  before  every  hour  a  cock  gives  the 
signal  by  clapping  his  wings  and  crowing ;  one 
minute  later  the  bears  march  around  a  seated  figure, 
and  a  harlequin  indicates  the  number  of  the  hour 
by  striking  a  bell.  The  cock  then  repeats  his  sig- 
nal when  the  hour  strikes.  The  seated  figure — an 
old  man  with  a  beard — turns  an  hour-glass,  and 
counts  the  hour  by  raising  his  scepter  and  opening 
his  mouth,  wl^ile  the  bear  on  his  right  does  the 
same  by  an  inclination  of  his  head.  At  the  same 
time  a  stone  figure  in  the  tower  strikes  the  bell  with 
a  hammer.  The  cock  concludes  the  performance 
by  crowing  the  third  time.  This  remarkable  clock 
was  built  in  1191,  and  for  nearly  seven  hundred 
years  it  has  been  attracting  the  attention  of  the 
people.  We  went  twice  to  see  it,  and  may  go 
again.  The  ancient  Egyptians  had  not  a  greater 
veneration  for  their  Ibis  than  these  people  have  for 
the  bear,  which  would  seem  to  be  a  tutelary  deity, 
as  well  as  a  heraldic  emblem  of  the  Canton.  Here 
Bruin  has  been  supported,  according  to  immemorial 
usage,  at  the  expense  of  the  public,  who  are  pro- 
hibited from  making  him  any  other  offering  than 
bread  or  fruit.  On  the  night  of  March  3,  1861,  an 
English  officer  fell  into  one  of  the  dens  and  was 
torn  to  pieces  by  the  male  bear,  after  a  long  and 
desperate  struggle. 


Three  thousand  feet  high — The  illuminated  falls  at  inter- 
lachen — Seas  of  ice — The  Bernese  Alps — Up  among  the 
coolnesses  of  Switzerland  in  August. 

LUCERNE,  August  7,  1873. 

We  took  the  cars  again,  and  came  to  Interlachen, 
situated  between  the  mountains,  which  tower  up  in 
the  clouds  on  either  hand.  Away  in  the  distance 
are  seen  some  whose  summits  are  covered  with 
snow.  The  sunset  here  was  glorious.  The  yellow 


THE  GLACIERS.  251 

sunshine  for  some  distance  below,  then  the  white 
snow  in  the  shade,  with  the  evergreens  surrounding, 
was  sublimely  beautiful.  Here,  for  the  first  time, 
we  see  the  glaciers.  This  is  the  third  highest  of 
the  Swiss  mountains,  and  is  in  full  view  of  our 
hotel.  This  place  may  be  said  to  combine  tasteful 
quiet  with  magnificent  scenery. 

Early  in  the  morning  we  are  off  in  carriages  to 
see  the  glaciers.  The  road  is  between  three  and 
four  hours'  drive  through  a  romantic  country,  set- 
tled by  Swiss  peasants.  Leaving  the  carriages,  we 
to  on  foot  a  mile  and  a  half  still  farther  up,  a  most 
itiguing  walk,  to  view  the  splendors  of  nature.  A 
grotto  is  cut  in  the  ice  for  some  distance,  inside  of 
which  two  girls  are  playing  on  some  queer  instru- 
ment and  singing.  We  pay  our  fifty  centimes  (ten 
cents)  and  go  under  the  ice — above,  below,  all 
around,  how  far  no  one  can  tell.  These  grottoes 
are,  many  of  them,  eighteen  or  twenty  miles  long, 
and  from  one  to  two  miles  wide,  and  from  one 
hundred  to  six  hundred  feet  thick.  The  glaciers 
of  Switzerland  are  supposed  to  form  a  sea  of  ice 
more  than  a,  thousand  miles  long.  They  melt  at 
the  bottom  and  sides  and  slide  down  slowly  in  a 
body.  The  waters  rush  in  torrents  down  the  moun- 
tain sides  in  roaring  cataracts.  The  next  winter 
the  space  is  again  filled  with  ice  to  go  through  the 
same  process.  This  water  forms  lakes,  where  there 
is  space  enough  to  contain  it,  and  runs  off  by  rivers 
between  the  mountains.  This  place  is  situated 
between  Lakes  Brienz  and  Thun.  The  water  in 
the  latter  is  said  to  be  over  two  thousand  feet  deep. 

We  take  one  of  the  steamers  near  Interlachen,  and 
pass  through  the  beautiful  lake  filling  nearly  all  the 
space  between  the  mountains  and  Griesbach. 

We  walk  up  through  a  wilderness  of  evergreens, 
over  a  thousand  feet,  to  the  hotel  to  spend  the  night, 
and  see  the  illuminated  falls.  As  we  pass  up,  an 


252          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

animated  scene  presents  itself.  A  stream  of  con- 
siderable size  comes  tumbling,  roaring  down,  you 
know  not  from  where,  but  rushing  on  down  the 
precipices  to  the  lake.  You  see  the  noisy  torrent 
by  your  side,  winding  its  way  in  silvery  foam 
through  the  verdant  slopes,  while  far  beyond  are 
seen  the  majestic  Bernese  Alps,  aspiring  above  the 
whole,  and  casting  their  shadows  in  the  deep  cal- 
dron. 

After  supper  these  falls  are  illuminated.  There 
are  four  falls.  The  impression  made  by  these  dif- 
ferent colors  will  never  be  erased  from  our  minds. 
I  cannot  describe  its  transeendently  beautiful  appear- 
ance. The  roar  of  these  falls,  and  the  bracing 
atmosphere  of  this  three  thousand  feet  elevation, 
gave  us  a  refreshing  night's  repose.  This  place — 
formerly  inaccessible — became  known  in  1818.  It 
has  now  become  one  of  the  most  delightful  and 
popular  resorts  in  Switzerland.  The  series  of  cas- 
cades— seven  in  number — falling  from  rock  to  rock, 
from  a  great  height  (1,148  feet),  harmonize  with  the 
character  of  the  scenery  so  as  to  enhance  its  at- 
tractions. 

We  breakfast  5:15,  and  descend  to  the  boat  which 
takes  us  across  the  lake,  where  we  take  diligences 
to  cross  the  Alps.  Here  an  interesting  scene  occurs. 
Crowds  of  passengers  to  go,  six  to  the  smaller  dili- 
gences, and  perhaps  double  that  number  to  the 
large  ones.  Tourists  of  many  tongues,  guides,  por- 
ters, horses,  drivers,  all  mingled  in  the  utmost  con- 
fusion. I  go  with  two  young  ladies  from  Oxford, 
Mississippi ;  one  from  Virginia,  and  Revs.  Messrs. 
Witherspoon  and  Richardson. 

We  ascend  for  miles  a  circuitous  way,  to  look 
down  on  the  place  of  our  ascent,  seemingly  less 
than  a  mile  below  us.  The  mountains  now  appear 
in  all  their  majesty,  covered  with  snow,  on  the 
higher  peaks  of  the  summit,  with  dazzling  whiteness. 


GRANDEUR  OF  ALPINE  SCENERY.  253 

The  ascent  becomes  so  steep  that  some  of  us  walk 
for  miles,  taking  nearer  routes  up  the  mountains. 

There  have  recently  been  some  of  those  terrible 
avalanches  of  ice  and  snow.  Along  these  mountain- 
slopes  are  hundreds  of  cottages,  with  small  patches 
of  garden  and  orchards.  The  descent  is  rapid,  with 
locked  wheels. 

We  pass  some  fine  Swiss  houses  near  the  lake, 
and  a  town  of  some  size,  with  churches.  The  road 
is  all  smoothly  paved  with  blue  marble,  beat  up. 
Workmen  are  removing  the  stones  and  earth  brought 
down  by  the  avalanches.  This  has  been  one  of  our 
most  interesting  days  of  travel. 

We  take  steamer  at  Lucerne,  unsurpassed  for  the 
grandeur  of  its  scenery.  We  arrived  at  this  city  in 
the  afternoon. 


Top  of  the  Alps — A  view  of  three  hundred  miles  from  Rigi — 
One  of  Nature's  grandest  displays. 

RIGI,  Top  of  the  Alps,  August  8,  1873. 
Here  we  are  on  the  highest  accessible  point  of 
these  far-famed  mountains.  We  took  the  steamer 
at  Lucerne  this  morning,  and  went  to  the  far  end  of 
the  lake,  passing  a  number  of  places  of  natural  as 
well  as  historic  interest.  Of  these  I  cannot  now 
write,  not  even  of  the  most  remarkable  railroad 
that  brought  us  up  these  mountains.  If  there  were 
inspiration  to  be  had  from  one's  position  and  sur- 
roundings, then  certainly  this  place  possesses  more 
to  inspire  one  than  any  place  I  have  ever  seen. 
This  view  far  exceeds  my  expectations.  I  realize 
more  fully  than  ever  before  what  the  Alps  are — 
their  extent  and  grandeur.  It  is  estimated  that 
three  hundred  miles  may  be  taken  in  a  view,  on  a 
clear  day,  from  this  summit.  The  mountains  we 
had  seen  from  the  lake  now  look  like  a  plain.  The 
houses  in  the  towns  look  like  toys.  The  cultivated 


254          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

ground  seen  in  the  distance,  cut  up  in  patches,  looks 
like  bed-quilts.  The  power  of  vision  seems  lost  in 
the  distance,  or  seen  only  in  the  most  diminutive 
form.  Thus  it  is  as  seen  before  us.  But  what  can 
I  say  of  that  above  and  around  us,  as  seen  in  the 
distance?  There  is  no  humbug  in  this  upon  which 
we  now  gaze  almost  in  bewilderment.  It  is  Na- 
ture's grandest  display  of  her  most  sublime  magnifi- 
cence. No  words  can  convey  to  the  mind  a  correct 
idea  of  what  I  behold  spread  out  below,  above, 
around,  everywhere,  from  the  position  which  I  oc- 
cupy while  I  write.  The  lakes  below,  as  they  are 
seen  in  their  serpentine  course  between  the  mount- 
ains, look  like  a  creek,  and  the  mountains  them- 
selves, with  the  little  houses  upon  them,  seem  to  be 
a  valley.  Every  thing  seen  below  is  diminished. 
The  towns  and  villages  have  dwindled  into  insig- 
nificance, and  what  we  thought  a  very  mountainous 
country  looks  like  one  of  the  most  lovely,  pictur- 
esque plains  we  ever  saw.  We  seem  to  have  as- 
cended into  the  heavens,  and  it  is  winter.  The  sur- 
rounding mountains  are  covered  with  snow,  while 
the  fleecy  clouds  hang  below  them  in  glorious 
grandeur,  overwhelming  us  with  the  omnific  power 
of  Nature's  God,  as  seen  around  everywhere. 

This  day  winds  up  our  sight-seeing  in  Switzer- 
land. We  quit  at  the  right  place.  Nothing  else  in 
this  line  could  interest  us.  I  shall  leave  this  mount- 
ain filled  with  emotions  of  the  commingling  of  all 
that  is  magnificently  grand,  combined  with  that 
which  is  most  beautiful  in  nature.  Even  under  the 
everlasting  snow  grow  the  lovely  flowers,  born  to 
blush  unseen,  and  shed  their  fragrance  on  this 
mountain  air.  Many  varieties  are  collected  and 
pressed  in  books,  to  be  sold  to  visitors,  who  press 
by  thousands  to  see  the  wonders  of  nature  from 
this  Rigi  of  the  Alps.  Two  or  three  hundred  more 
than  can  be  accommodated  at  the  hotels  throng 


SWITZERLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE.  255 

there  daily  to  see  that  which  can  only  be  witnessed 
by  the  aid  of  steam,  applied  by  the  most  skillful 
engineering. 

We  remain  till  near  night  to  see  the  setting  sun 
from  this  lofty  eminence.  Some  of  our  party  stay 
to  see  it  rise. 


Romantic  Switzerland — Impressions  of  the  most  interesting 
country  in  Europe — An  amusing  dinner-table  experience — 
The  need  of  an  interpreter — Sketch  of  Lucerne — William 
Tell — A  mountain  railroad — Farewell,  Switzerland. 

LUCERNE,  August  9,  1873. 

We  return  on  the  steamer  to  this  place.  After 
nine  o'clock  to-day  we  leave  this  romantic  Switzer- 
land for  Paris. 

I  will  give  my  impressions  in  regard  to  the  Swiss 
country  and  people.  In  some  respects  it  is  the  most 
interesting  country  in  Europe.  It  is  about  two  hun- 
dred miles  from  east  to  west,  by  some  one  hundred 
and  sixty  or  seventy  miles.  Two-thirds  of  the 
country  are  lofty  mountain-chains,  and  valleys  with 
lakes.  The  language  of  the  people  is  a  mixture  of 
French,  German,  and  Italian,  or  rather  French- 
Swiss,  German-Swiss,  and  Italian-Swiss.  Having  a 
conductor  who  understands  all  the  languages  of  the 
eople  among  whom  we  have  traveled,  we  had  but 
ittle  difficulty. 

On  our  arrival  at  the  top  of  the  Rigi,  nearly  all 
of  the  party  went  directly  to  the  hotel  to  get  their 
dinner  before  they  went  out  sight-seeing.  I  was 
much  more  intent  on  seeing  than  eating,  and,  hav- 
ing no  baggage,  I  did  not  enter  the  hotel,  but  went 
from  place  to  place  for  an  hour  or  two,  to  see  all 
that  I  could  as  soon  as  possible.  The  hotel  is  within 
a  few  steps  of  "the  highest  point.  After  looking 
from  there  I  went  to  the  hotel,  and  found  that  some 
of  our  party  had  been  sitting  at  the  table,  waiting 
for  their  dinner,  ever  since  their  arrival. 


256          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Strategy.  —  ],  did  not  attempt  to  speak  to  the 
waiter,  but  wrote  what  I  wanted,  which  he  took  to 
some  one  who  understood  English,  and  soon  my 
wants  were  supplied.  Not  so  with  those  who  sat 
near  me.  Some  of  them,  being  teachers,  seemed 
determined  to  make  them  understand  what  they 
wanted;  but  they  failed  to  a  great  extent.  We 
laughed  long  and  immoderately.  This,  no  doubt, 
confused  the  waiters,  and  when  they  went  after  any 
thing,  they  seemed  to  forget  to  return  to  our  end  of 
the  table.  When  they  did  get  back,  they  brought 
that  which  was  not  ordered,  and  failed  to  bring  that 
which  the  teachers  thought  they  had  ordered,  each 
one  laughing  at  the  other's  mishaps.  Finally,  they 
ate  such  things  as  they  could  get.  On  to  the  "con- 
fectionery." Next,  the  professor  went  and  got  some 
for  his  wife;  but  before  the  others  got  a  chance  to 
make  signs  that  they  wanted  some  of  the  same,  she 
had  eaten  it  up,  and  then  they  were  out  at  sea  again. 
The  husband  had  left  to  seethe  mountains;  but  his 
wife,  enjoying  this,  remained  to  see  the  end  of  it. 
They  jabbered  away,  and  made  signs  for  the  con- 
fectionery, but  it  was  not  to  be  had.  After  all  pa- 
tience was  exhausted,  and  all  had  enjoyed  the  joke 
to  the  fullest  extent  but  the  waiters,  they  concluded 
to  give  it  up  and  quit.  But  here  comes  another 
difficulty.  Every  thing  here  is  upon  the  "European 
style."  You  pay  for  what  you  order.  This  seemed 
to  be  Impossible.  The  waiters  could  not  under- 
stand a  word,  nor  could  the  teachers  understand 
them.  A  new  source  of  amusement  arose,  which 
cannot  be  described.  Their  dinner-coupons  were 
worth  four  francs  (eighty  cents);  but  they  could  not 
get,  and  had  not  eaten,  the  worth  of  their  money, 
and  the  waiters  could  not  give  change  for  them. 
After  much  parleying,  two  would  put  their  orders 
together,  and  one  pay  for  both.  One  of  the  ladies 
said  it  took  them  longer  to  settle  for  than  to  out 


SWITZERLAND  AND  ITS  PEOPLE.  257 

their  dinner,  minus  the  confectionery,  which  could 
not  be  obtained  for  love,  signs,  speech,  coupons,  or 
money.  Thus  ended  the  most  amusing  dinner  I 
have  ever  seen,  and  shows  the  necessity  of  having  a 
conductor  m  this  country. 

I  was  going  to  speak  of  Switzerland,  but  was  led 
off  by  the  dinner  mishaps  until  my  sheet  was  full. 
This  is  a  remarkable  country  in  many  respects.  It 
has  been  a  republic  longer,  and  has  a  freer  govern- 
ment than  any  other  country  in  Europe.  Its  popu- 
lation is  only  about  2,500,000.  It  is  divided  into 
many  Cantons — about  twenty,  I  think.  It  reminds 
me  more  of  our  country  than  any  other  on  the  Con- 
tinent. Their  railroads  are  made  like  ours.  You 
are  not  locked  up  in  their  carriages,  as  in  other 
countries.  At  their  hotels  they  are  willing  to  set 
meat  before  you,  and  not  limit  your  allowance  at 
every  meal,  as  in  other  countries.  They  have  or- 
chards like  ours,  and  flowers  are  seen  in  most  of 
their  windows,  in  pots.  The  vine  grows  luxuriantly 
in  their  valleys  and  on  their  hill-sides.  Their  cli- 
mate is  cold  in  winter,  but  most  delightful  in  sum- 
mer. Millions  of  money  are  spent  among  these 
people  by  seekers  of  health  and  pleasure.  Their 
principal  manufactures  are  of  carved  wood,  watches, 
and  music-boxes,  in  which  they  excel  the  world. 

I  have  deviated  a  little  from  my  plan  of  giving  a 
running  sketch  of  our  trip.  I  must,  therefore,  go 
back  to  Lucerne,  which  is  situated  at  the  head  of 
the  lake  of  the  same  name.  The  "lion"  of  this 
place  is  cut  out  of  a  solid  rock,  twenty-eight  by 
eighteen  feet,  and  stands  in  a  garden.  It  is  com- 
memorative of  the  Swiss  Guards,  who  may  be  said 
to  have  suffered  in  defense  of  the  King  of  France, 
at  the  beginning  of  the  French  Revolution.  The 
spear  is  sticking  in  his  side,  and  he  is  dying,  yet 
seeking  to  protect  the  shield  of  France.  Lucerne 
is  the  residence  of  the  Papal  Nuncio.  It  became 


258          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

independent  in  1332,  and  joined  the  Swiss  Confed- 
eracy. Its  history  dates  from  the  eighth  century.  It 
was  taken  by  the  French  in  1798,  and  was,  for  that 
time,  the  capital  of  the  Helvetian  Republic. 

On  our  way  to  Rigi  we  passed  several  places  of 
interest  in  the  vicinity  where  William  Tell  per- 
formed his  exploits.  A  chapel  is  built  by  the  side 
of  the  lake,  said  to  be  on  the  spot  where  he  shot 
the  apple  off  his  son's  head.  It  is  said  to  have  been 
built  thirty  years  after  his  death. 

There  are  four  Cantons  on  the  shores  of  this  lake. 
One  of  these,  with  a  population  of  but  one  thou- 
sand, has  maintained  its  independence  for  four  hun- 
dred years.  In  the  town-hall  is  this  inscription: 
"  Received  into  the  Confederacy,  1315.  Purchased 
its  freedom,  1390.  It  was  taken  by  the  French  in 
1798."  There  is  near  this  place  what  is  called  the 
"Devil's  Bridge,"  seventy  feet  high.  The  whole 
scene  around  is  one  of  savage  grandeur.  The  rail- 
road by  which  we  ascend  to  Rigi  has  a  central  iron 
rail,  with  cogs,  into  which  runs  a  wheel,  like  a  gin- 
wheel.  It  took  over  an  hour  to  ascend  the  mount- 
ain. The  railroad  has  only  been  in  operation  since 
May,  1871.  Three  trains  are  now  kept  busy  with 
the  thousands  of  visitors  visiting  the  place. 

We  leave  this  mountain  country  with  the  most 
pleasant  associations,  feeling  that  we  have  been 
amply  compensated  for  our  week  spent  in  the  Re- 
public of  Switzerland. 


Letters  from  Kev.  T.  W.  Hooper. 

GENEVA,  July  19,  1873. 

The  bells  have  chimed  6  A.M.,  and  here  I  am, 
dressed  and  at  my  window,  writing  to  you  from  the 
home  of  Calvin.  But  how  can  a  man  sleep  with 
such  scenery  bursting  all  around  him  !  From  my 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  T.  "W.  HOOPER.        259 

window  I  look  down  upon  Lake  Geneva,  just  across 
the  street,  and  the  rushing  of  whose  waters,  as  they 
form  the  Rhone  at  this  point,  was  the  first  sound 
that  greeted  me  this  morning.  Just  a  few  yards  to 
the  right  of  my  window  is  the  beautiful  stone  bridge 
that  spans  the  river,  with  a  foot-bridge  extending  to 
Rousseau's  Island,  now  used  as  a  beer-garden. 
Across  the  lake  is  the  body  of  the  quaint  old  town, 
with  its  turreted  cathedral  (now  used  by  the  Pres- 
byterians of  Scotland),  while  overlooking  all  is  a 
range  of  magnificent  mountains,  over  whose  tower- 
ing crags  we  gaze  in  rapt  wonder  upon  the  ever- 
lasting snow  of  Mont  Blanc. 

Could  you  write  with  such  a  scene  as  that  to  look 
upon,  while  under  you  is  the  continual  rattle  of 
Swiss  market  wagons,  with  fruits  and  vegetables, 
mingling  with  the  escaping  steam  from  the  steamer 
"Winkbried,  whose  smoke-stack  is  just  under  my 
window?  But  beautiful  as  it  is  to-day,  it  was  still 
more  so  on  yesterday,  and  especially  at  the  "Chateau 
of  Rothschild,"  to  which  we  rode,  and  from  whose 
beautiful  park  we  had  an  almost  unclouded  view  of 
Mont  Blanc  and  the  surrounding  mountains  of  Savoy. 
"No  wonder  that  Byron  selected  this  lake  for  one  of 
his  scenes  in  "  Childe  Harold,"  for  it  must  have  set 
his  poetical  genius  on  fire  by  its  placid  beauty. 
Last  night  we  sat  long  and  gazed  upon  its  waters, 
from  whose  smooth  surface  thousands  of  lamp- 
lights glittered,  and  while  music  floated  in  the  balmy 
atmosphere,  memories  came  trooping  from  the  glo- 
rious past. 

It  seems  to  me  that  John  Calvin  must  have  been 
a  Calvinist,  living  in  the  substantial  stone  house 
which  he  occupied,  and  studying  Romans  and 
Ephesians  in  that  straight-back  arm-chair  in  which 
I  sat  on  yesterday,  and  surrounded  by  those  ever- 
lasting mountains. 

Oh!  but  how  about  the    burning  of  Servetus? 


260          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

"Well,  I  have  seen  the  very  spot  where  the  poor  fel- 
low was  burned — but  if  your  readers  had  seen  as 
many  places  as  I  have  wl;ere  the  llth  chapter  of 
Hebrews  was  reenacted  on  Presbyterians,  they 
would  not  think  so  strongly  of  poor  old  John 
Calvin's  consent  to  the  burning  of  one'  poor  heretic. 
They  must  remember  that  our  Baptist  brethren  had 
not  yet  come  into  existence  to  clamor  for  "  soul 
liberty ;  "  episcopacy  had  not  even  emerged  from 
the  thraldom  of  Rome,  and  the  remnant  of  primi- 
tive Presbyterians  were  still  "  earnestly  contending 
for  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints  "  in  the 
valleys  of  Piedmont. 

But  I  must  quit  this  moralizing — a  small  amount 
of  which  I  trust  is  excusable  in  such  a  Calvinistic 
atmosphere  as  this.  Apart  from  its  associations 
and  its  beautiful  scenery,  there  is  nothing  remarka- 
ble about  this  ancient  town,  unless  you  except  its 
representation  for  watch-making  and  jewelry.  Yes- 
terday we  went  all  through  one  of  the  largest  man- 
ufactories, and  you  may  form  some  idea  of  its  size, 
when  I  tell  you  that  this  one  firm  employs  three 
hundred  hands  in  the  building,  and  keeps  three 
thousand  others  constantly  employed  on  job  work 
outside.  They  sell  their  watches  "in  pieces,"  or 
completed,  all  over  the  world,  and  are  famous  as 
manufacturers  wherever  people  are  enough  civilized 
to  know  the  time  of  day  by  mechanism. 

But  now,  going  back  a  little,  I  would  say,  we 
left  the  beautiful  city  of  Paris  Thursday  night  at 
8:40,  and  arrived  here  at  10:30  yesterday  morning, 
having  traveled  over  four  hundred  miles  on  a  road 
as  smooth  as  a  bowling-alley,  and  the  latter  part 
abounding  in  striking  and  picturesque  scenery. 

We  also  got  quite  a  correct  idea  of  peasant  life 
as  we  drifted  along  among  their  "cottages,"  as 
tourists  call  them,  but  which  we  regarded  as  very 
indifferent  negro  cabins.  The  family  seem  to  dwell 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  "W.  HOOPER.        261 

in  one  end  and  the  horses  and  cattle  in  the  other, 
while  dogs  and  cats  and  goats  lie  around  loose 
wherever  it  suits  them.  It  was  harvest-time,  and 
we  saw  it  in  all  its  reality,  without  the  poetry — 
men  cutting  wheat  with  a  scythe  or  a  hook,  and 
women,  with  short  blue  cotton  dresses  of  scant  pat- 
tern, and  without  stockings  or  pantalettes,  picking 
it  up  and  tying  it  into  bundles.  We  also  saw  the 
first  Indian  corn  growing  that  we  have  seen  since 
we  left  America;  and  everywhere  the  universal 
Irish  potato.  The  fact  is,  we  have  scarcely  seen  a 
farm  or  sat  down  to  a  table,  since  we  landed  at  Mo- 
ville,  without  this  famous  vegetable ;  and  while  we 
have  eaten  many  strange  mixtures  which  none  of 
us  could  recognize,  either  by  name  or  in  reality,  we 
are  all  acquainted  and  feel  at  home  with  this  homely 
old  vegetable,  which  seems  to  be  regarded  as  a  sort 
of  sine  qua  non  among  the  rich  as  well  as  among 
the  poor. 

And  now,  I  want  to  make  one  assertion  which 
may  strike  some  of  your  readers  with  surprise.  I 
traveled  yesterday  through  some  of  the  finest  and 
most  fertile  valleys  of  France,  but  I  saw  no  land  as 
rich  as  the  Roanoke  Valley,  no  scenery  more  beau- 
tiful than  that  around  Liberty,  and  no  farm-house 
as  beautifully  located  or  as  pretty  a  private  resi- 
dence as  Mr.  Laughorne's,  at  Shawsville.  "Dis- 
tance lends  enchantment  to  the  view,"  and  historic 
associations  cast  a  halo  of  glory  around  these  scenes 
through  which  we  have  been  passing;  but  dissipate 
this  misty  vail  of  the  dim  and  hoary  antiquity,  and 
I  will  pick  out  a  hundred  more  picturesque  and 
more  beautiful  scenes  among  the  mountains  of  Vir- 
ginia. Just  here,  my  brother  waked  up,  and  I 
asked  him  what  he  thought  of  that  last  sentiment. 
"It  is  correct,"  said  he;  "for  as  I  look  out  of  that 
window  I  can  easily  imagine  that  I  am  looking 
down  the  Goose  Creek  Valley." 


262          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Shades  of  Rousseau,  Calvin,  Byron  !  what  a  sen- 
timent, so  near  the  spot  where  Servetus  was  burned ! 
The  Peaks  and  Mont  Blanc  !  Savoy  and  Bedford ! 
the  Rhone  and  Goose  Creek  !  Lake  Geneva  and  Bu- 
ford's  Mill-pond!  How  long  would  it  take  such 
a  genius  as  his  to  develop  into  a  second  Byron, 
and  produce  another  "  Childe  Harold,"  amid  such 
scenery? 

I  think,  after  this,  I  '11  let  scenery  alone,  and 
would  respectfully  refer  all  your  readers  to  the 
ordinary  guide-books  for  the  fiction,  and  to  Mark 
Twain  for  the  reality.  By  the  way,  he  had  only 
one  oracle  in  his  party ;  but  we  have  two,  and  they 
furnish  us  a  constant  source  of  amusement  as  well 
as  disgust,  and  by  some  curious  streak  of  fortune 
they  are  room-mates.  Yesterday,  as  soon  as  we 
came  in  sight  of  Mont  Jura,  they  commenced  dis- 
cussing the  point  as  to  "where  Hannibal  crossed 
the  Alps,"  which  some  one  stopped  by  asserting 
that  Hannibal  did  n't  cross  the  Alps  at  all.  They 
both  think  they  talk  French;  and  whenever  we 
want  fan,  we  get  them  to  ask  a  Frenchman  a  ques- 
tion, and  watch  his  countenance  and  the  shrug  of 
his  shoulders,  while  they  scream  louder  and  louder, 
thinking  that  he  must  be  deaf. 

"The  marms"  have  somewhat  subsided,  under 
the  influence  of  travel,  and  mixing  with  a  people 
to  whom,  every  time  they  speak,  they  show  their 
ignorance.  Not  one  of  them  speaks  French,  and 
only  one  pretends  to ;  but  she  prefers  the  English, 
and  so  do  I.  Really,  I  am  tired  out  with  this  con- 
tinuous jargon,  and  shall  be  glad  when  I  get  back 
to  England,  and  gladder  still  when  I  get  back  to 
Lynchburg. 

We  leave  by  steamer  this  morning  for  Lausanne, 
Berne,  Interlachen,  etc. 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.   263 

IXTERLACHEN,  July  21,  1873. 

I  am  afraid  your  readers  will  think  I  am  getting 
almost  too  prolific  in  letters,  as  I  wrote  day  before 
yesterday.  But  the  fact  is,  that  in  my  case,  which 
is  "  early  to  bed,"  it  is  sure  to  result  in  "early  to 
rise,"  and  at  five  o'clock  this  morning  I  was  awak- 
ened by  the  glorious  sunlight,  giving  promise  of 
another  beautiful  day  in  the"  Alps.  This  is  not  al- 
ways the  case,  and  I  have  heard  of  parties  having 
to  wait  for  days  without  a  glimpse  of  Mont  Blanc 
or  the  Jungfrau ;  while  not  a  cloud  obscured  either, 
when  we  got  near  enough  to  see  them.  And  now 
that  I  am  up,  and  we  are  to  make  an  early  start  for 
the  glaciers,  I  have  concluded  to  write  to  my  various 
friends  through  you,  as  it  saves  time,  which  is  pre- 
cious, and  postage,  which  is  high,  though  not  as 
high  here  as  in  France. 

As  this  is  Monday,  and  the  time  for  our  minis- 
terial conference,  I  shall  give  some  account  of  the 
sermons  which  I  heard  on  yesterday,  after  giving 
you  a  hasty  sketch  of  my  trip  here. 

We  left  Geneva  at  half-past  seven  on  a  cup  of 
coffee  and  cold  bread,  and  glided  up  the  Lake 
Leman,  or  Geneva,  to  a  little  place  called  Ouchy. 
As  I  w7as  quietly  gazing  on  the  mountain-peaks  that 
rose  all  around  us,  and  the  intervening  valleys, 

freen  with  the  growing  crops  and  dotted  over  with 
eautiful  villas,  I  heard  some  one  say,  "  Brother 

T ,  this  scenery  is  going  back  on  Goose  Creek." 

I  felt  that  he  had  made  reparation  for  the  poetic 
slander  of  the  morning-;  'and  I,  too,  must  confess 
that  I  had  not  fully  reached  the  picturesque  sublim- 
ity of  the  Alps  when  I  compared  it  to  Bedford; 
but  there  is  a  most  striking  similarity  in  many  of 
the  scenes  to  those  along  the  Virginia  and  Ten- 
nessee Railroad. 

At  Ouchy,  we  got  breakfast  about  twelve,  in  one 
of  the  grandest  hotels  I  ever  saw  —  large,  airy, 


264         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

handsomely  frescoed,  and  surrounded  with  a  flower- 
garden  and  park  that  is  worthy  of  a  count,  or  a 
duke  at  least. 

Mounting  the  omnibus,  we  climbed  a  consider- 
able height  around  a  macadamized  road  to  the  an- 
cient town  of  Lausanne,  where  Gibbon  finished  his 
"History  of  the  Decline  and  Fall  of  Borne."  Here 
we  took  the  train,  and  a  little  before  five  we  landed 
at  the  quaint  old  town  of  Berne.  In  an  incredibly 
short  time  Mr.  Cook  had  us  seated  in  "cabs,"  and 
whipped  off  to  see  the  famous  clock.  We  got  there 
just  in  time  to  see  the  performance.  True  to  the 
Guide-book,  at  three  minutes  before  five  a  wooden 
rooster  clapped  his  wings  and  crowed ;  a  minute 
later  the  bear  turned  his  head,  while  the  harlequin 
rang  his  bells,  and  the  old  man  turned  his  hour- 
glass and  opened  his  mouth  just  as  the  iron  figure 
above  raised  his  hammer  and  struck  off  five  on  the 
old  bell  in  the  tower.  We  then  drove  on  to  see  the 
bears  (kept  at  public  expense),  and  then  to  the  Par- 
liament House,  where  we  visited  the  senate  and 
representative  chambers,  both  of  which  are  repub- 
lican in  their  simplicity,  and  accord  well  with  the 
grand  Lutheran  cathedral,  which  has  all  the  sim- 
plicity of  Roman  architecture,  and  shows  that  it 
was  intended  for  real  worship,'  not  for  mere  Romish 
mummery. 

Returning  to  the  depot,  we  took  another  train, 
on  special  first-class  cars,  and  about  seven  o'clock 
came  to  Lake  Thun,  where  we  again  took  steamer 
in  the  midst  of  the  wildest  Alpine  scenery;  and 
after  ten  minutes'  ride  on  the  cars  again,  we  were 
safely  deposited  at  the  magnificent  Hotel  Victoria, 
the  largest  and  finest  of  all  the  numerous  hotels  at 
this  famous  summer  resort,  where  three  thousand 
visitors  congregate  during  the  summer  months. 
We  are  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  giant  mountain-- 
peaks which  seem  to  .pierce  the  very  heavens,  while 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.        265 

the  Young  Virgin,  or  Juugfrau,  rises  over  thirteen 
thousand  feet,  just  in  front  of  us,  and  is  covered 
with  perpetual  snow.  With  a  glass,  this  snow  gives 
us  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow;  while  without  it, 
the  dazzling  whiteness  blinds  us,  and  stands  in 
striking  contrast  to  all  the  green  of  lower  peaks. 

Yesterday  we  were  glad  to  recognize  another 
Sabbath,  and  to  have  a  day  of  rest  in  this  quiet, 
peaceful  valley,  instead  of  all  the  sights  and  sounds 
of  some  large  city.  At  eleven  o'clock  we  attended 
service  at  the  Scotch  chapel,  where  a  minister  of 
the  true  Church  holds  a  service  every  Sunday  dur- 
ing the  summer  months.  It  furnishes  a  rest  to  the 
minister  and  a  chance  to  see  the  world,  and  at  the 
same  time  furnishes  the  gospel  to  those  who  need 
it  in  their  travels.  The  minister  in  this  case  is 
Rev.  James  T.  Stuart,  of  Kelso,  Scotland,  and  I 
never  heard  two  more  excellent,  spiritual,  evangel- 
ical sermons,  while  the  Scotch  accent  gave  me  a 
peculiar  relish  and  delight. 

At  11  A.M.  he  preached  on  "  My  beloved  is  mine, 
and  I  am  his."  It  was  the  language  of  the  Church, 
or  the  Christian,  in  regard  to  Christ,  who  has 
looked  in  at  the  lattice  and  is  now  gone  to  heaven. 
This  language,  he  said,  implied — 1.  Mutual  choice 
— Christ  first  chose  us,  and  then  we  chose  him. 
2.  This  choice  was  based  on  love — his  love  of  pity 
and  complacency  and  benefit — producing  in  us  a 
love  which  has  as  its  elements  gratitude,  delight, 
and  desire  to  please  and  to  serve  him. 

At  4  P.M.  I  heard  him  again  on  "  Trees  of  Right- 
eousness." He  first  quoted  a  list  of  names  by  which 
God,  as  a  fond  and  loving  father,  calls  his  children, 
and  then  discussed  the  subject  under  two  heads: 

1.  The  similitude  between  a  Christian  and  a  tree. 

2.  How  they  both  grow.     Under  the  first  head  he 
brought  out  these   points :   The  tree  must  have  a 
root:  first,  to  sustain  it;  and  second,  to  supply  it 

12 


266          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

with  nutriment.  So  the  Christian  has  his  root  in 
Christ  by  faith,  which  both  sustains  and  supplies 
him.  Then,  as  the  tree  has  a  trunk  and  foliage  and 
fruit,  so  the  Christian  has  his  spiritual  life,  leading 
to  profession  as  foliage,  and  good  works  as  the 
fruit.  Under  the  second  head  he  brought  out  these 
points:  The  tree  and  the  Christian  both  grow — first, 
by  expansion  from  within;  secondly,  by  assimila- 
tion ;  third,  by  circulation.  He  closed  with  a  most 
excellent  and  fervent  practical  appeal  to  vital  godli- 
ness. Your  readers  generally  may  not  see  the  drift, 
but  the  preachers  will  see  the  heads  of  two  capital 
sermons.  I  am  sure  that  we  all  enjoyed  it,  after  so 
much  French  and  German  jabber  all  around  us. 

I  used  to  tell  my  people,  when  I  wanted  to  shame 
them  into  regular  attendance  at  church,  that  I  would 
like  to  send  them  out  by  detachments  for  six  months 
into  the  country,  when  they  would  ride  ten  miles 
and  hear  a  sermon  once  a  month.  But  hereafter  I 
shall  wish  to  send  them  to  France  or  Germany, 
where  they  will  have  fanciful  singing,  see  the  mass 
conducted  by  well-fed,  sensual-looking  old  priests, 
and  only  hear  the  gospel  occasionally  from  some 
Scotch  or  English  minister. 

But  I  must  close  now,  as  I  do  not  intend  to  close 
this,  but  shall  wait  for  the  Grindelwald  Glacier. 


LUCERNE,  July  23,  1873. 

I  intended  to  complete  the  above  at  Griesbach, 
but  it  was  too  late  when  the  illumination  of  the 
falls  was  over,  and  too  soon  a  start  the  next  morn- 
ing when  we  started  for  this  point.  But  now,  as 
some  of  us  are  resting,  while  others  have  gone  to 
the  Rigi,  I  will  finish  it. 

We  went  by  mistake  to  Lauterbrunnen,  where 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.       267 

we  saw  the  famous  Saublack  Fall.  It  is  caused  by 
a  small  stream  running  over  a  precipice  one  thou- 
sand feet  high,  and  breaking  into  a  complete  mist 
before  it  strikes  the  rocks  below.  It  is  really  one 
of  the  most  wonderful  and  beautiful  scenes  that  we 
have  witnessed  in  this  fairy-land  of  Switzerland. 

But,  retracing  our  drive  several  miles,  our  car- 
riage, with  its  six  passengers  and  driver,  drawn  by 
two  horses  urged  by  a  hundred  horse-flies  each, 
slowly  dragged  its  way  up  to  the  glaciers  of  Grin- 
delwald,  while  the  beautiful  white  Wetterhorn  stared 
us  in  the  face,  and  kept  us  on  the  qui  vive  for 
avalanches.  But  while^ve  heard  them  thundering 
around  the  mountains,  we  did  not  get  a  view  of 
them,  and  had  to  content  ourselves  with  sound  and 
fury. 

We  got  a  splendid  view  of  the  glaciers,  and  then 
came  down  the  mountain  at  a  fearful  rate  to  Lake 
Brientz,  where  we  took  a  steamer  about  ten  miles 
to  Griesbach,  and  spent  the  night.  The  hotel  is 
on  a  cliff  one  thousand  feet  from  the  wharf,  which 
we  climbed  around  a  graded  walk,  admiring  the 
seven  falls  formed  by  a  large  stream  leaping  hun- 
dreds of  feet  from  one  rock  to  another,  dashing  the 
white  foam  in  all  directions,  and  sounding  like  one 
continuous  roar  of  thunder. 

After  an  excellent  supper,  we  walked  down  in 
front  of  the  falls  to  witness  the  illumination,  which 
takes  place  every  night  during  the  season.  We 
saw  the  lanterns  as  they  darted  in  and  out  among 
the  trees  like  will-o'-the-wisps ;  and  when  the  high- 
est fall  was  reached  a  rocket  shot  up,  and  this  was 
answered  by  another  at  the  bottom,  and  then  as  a 
third  exploded  it  threw  balls  in  the  air,  and  the  falls 
blazed  out  at  once  with  lights  of  amazing  brilliancy, 
that  gave  the  trees  and  the  water  the  appearance 
of  an  "Arabian  Night's  Entertainment,"  and  these 
lights  suddenly  changed  to  pink  and  green  and  yel- 


268          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

low,  and  then  one  by  one  went  out,  leaving  the 
darkness  darker  by  reason  of  the  wondrous  con- 
trast. 

The  next  morning  several  of  us  climbed  up  to 
the  very  top  of  the  topmost  rock,  at  imminent  peril 
of  life  and  limb,  passed  under  one  of  the  falls,  and 
caught  the  dashing  of  the  spray  as  we  stood  upon 
the  narrow  bridge  that  spanned  those  yawning 
chasms. 

At  ten  o'clock  we  descended  to  the  wharf,  and 
at  Brientz  took  private  carriages  provided  by  the 
thoughtful  Mr.  Cook,  instead  of  lumbering  dili- 
gences, as  the}7  are  called,  for  the  sake  of  contrast, 
I  suppose.  It  was  a  weary,  weary  day  of  heat  and 
dust  and  flies — first  for  three  hours  up  the  Bruni 
Pass,  and  then  at  a  brisk  trot  down  again  to  Alp- 
nach,  where  we  took,  first,  our  long-lost  letters  from 
home,  and  then  the  steamer  on  this  charming  Lake 
Lucerne  to  this  town  of  the  same  name.  The 
scenery  over  the  Bruni  is  grand,  wild,  and  romantic 
beyond  all  conception.  Beautiful  valleys,  dotted 
with  cottages  of  the  Swiss  peasantry,  and  watered 
by  dancing  streams,  lie  basking  in  the  sunlight; 
while  bold  and  rugged  mountains,  some  covered 
with  verdure  and  some  with  snow,  lift  their  giant 
heads  above  the  clouds,  and  sparkle  with  hundreds 
of  riverets  that  dash  over  their  sides  and  scatter 
into  spray,  fulfilling  those  beautiful  lines  of  Lord 
Byron, 

That  left  so  late  the  mountain's  brow, 
As  though  its  waters  ne'er  would  sever, 

But  ere  it  reach  the  plain  below 
Break  into  drops  that  part  forever. 

By  the  way,  we  passed  by  the  old  castle  said  to 
be  the  scene  of  Byron's  "Manfred,"  and  also  the 
castle  of  "Bluebeard." 

We  have  also  had  the  pleasure  of  hearing  a  gen- 
uine Swiss  horn,  with  its  splendid  echoes  among 


LETTER  FROM  EEV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.        269 

the  mountain-peaks.  It  is  about  four  feet  long 
and  about  live  inches  in  diameter  at  the  muzzle, 
straight  nearly  to  the  large  end,  where  it  makes  a 
slight  upward  deflection.  The  old  man  who  was 
blowing  it  had  it  resting  on  a  kind  of  fulcrum,  and 
blew  as  if  he  were  certain  of  good  pay.  '  But  there 
is  only  one  of  our  party  who  carried  a  "sou,"  and 
while  he  paid,  another  tried  to  step  it  on  the  fan- 
tastic toe.  ]^o  puns  intended,  except  for  the  in- 
itiated. 

We  had  rare  times  coming  up  the  mountain. 
One  of  the  party  was  good  on  "dog-German,"  and 
his  conversation  with  our  driver,  who  only  talked 
Dutch,  was  exceedingly  amusing — especially  the 
driver's. 


Letter  from  the  Rev.  A.  B.  Whipple,  President  of  Lansing- 
burgh  College,  New  York. 

PARIS,  August  11,  1873. 

Greetings  once  more  to  my  friends  from  this  side 
the  Atlantic.  My  last  letters  have  been  local,  or 
descriptive  of  one  place  only.  This  shall  be  a  run- 
ning comment  on  things  seen  between  Rome  and 
this  place. 

Leaving  Rome  July  30,  at  11  o'clock  A.M.,  we 
were  soon  outside  the  walls  and  passing  the  spot 
where  St.  Paul  was  executed,  and  the  church  in 
which  they  say  is  the  very  stone  on  which  he  was 
beheaded.  Within  the  city  we  had  visited  the  house 
where  he  dwelt,  the  prison  in  which  he  had  been 
confined,  and  the  house  of  his  friend  Clement, 
where  he  was  permitted  to  preach.  Of  this  house 
I  may  have  more  to  say  hereafter;  for  the  present, 
suffice  it  to  say,  every  place  mentioned,  and  every 
place  possessed  of-  some  sacred  relic  or  legend,  is 
invested  with  as  much  legendary  history  as  the  most 
devout  will  be  willing  to  believe.  Passing  on,  we 


270         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 

follow  up  the  valley  of  the  "Yellow  Tiber" — ren- 
dered so  by  the  great  amount  of  soil  washed  along 
with  its  rushing  waters.  Dry,  doubly  dry,  is  the 
country  through  which  we  pass — no  rain  having 
fallen  here  since  April.  Every  farm,  however,  seems 
to  be  supplied  with  a  large  tank  of  water  brought 
from  the  mountains.  Cattle  are  in  groups  near  the 
water,  as  if  in  consultation  about  something  to  eat, 
as  well  as  drink.  Hardly  a  green  thing  is  visible 
except  weeds .  uneatable  and  trees  unreachable  by 
cattle.  The  cattle  are  all  white,  the  tips  of  their 
noses,  ears,  horns,  and  the  bush  of  their  tails  being 
black.  They  are  of  the*  wide-spreading  horn  spe- 
cies, and  look  quite  unlike  our  own.  White,  cer- 
tainly, is  a  desirable  color  in  a  country  of  such  in- 
tense heat,  if  it  be  true  that  black  draws  the  heat, 
or  even  retains  it.  On  we  go,  until  the  blue  waters 
of  the  Mediterranean  greet  our  eyes.  We  watch  it, 
and  the  vessels  upon  it,  as  for  miles  we  speed  along 
its  shores.  Nothing  worthy  of  note  till  we  reach 
Pisa,  at  ten  o'clock  at  night,  to  eat  supper  out  of 
doors,  and  uncomfortably  warm  at  that.  We  slept 
as  people  do  very  warm  nights.  How  the  other 
49,999  slept  I  cannot  affirm.  This  I  do  know:  the 
other  one  was  not  any  too  much  rested  to  start 
early  in  the  morning  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  in 
sight-seeing.  The  Piazza  del  Duomo,  the  Cathe- 
dral, the  Baptistery,  the  Campo  Santo,  and  the 
Leaning  Tower,  were  all  the  places  we  could  visit. 
A  minute  description  I  cannot  now  give.  Of  course, 
the  Duomo  is  a  church  entirely  of  white  marble, 
with  black  and  colored  ornamentation,  with  solid 
silver  altar,  and  other  things  in  keeping.  What 
most  interested  me  was  the  moderate  swaying  of 
the  same  bronze  lamp,  suspended  from  the  lofty 
nave,  that  once  suggested  to  Galileo  the  idea  of  a 
pendulum  as  time-keeper.  The  Baptistery — a  beau- 
tiful circular  structure,  surrounded  by  half  columns 


LETTER  FROM  EEV.  A.  B.  WHIFFLE.        271 

below,  and  a  gallery  of  small  detached  columns 
above,  and  surmounted  by  a  conical  dome  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-nine  feet  high — was  commenced 
in  1153.  It  has  a  wonderful  echoing  gallery;  and 
when  one  of  the  guides  sang  a  few  strains  we  could 
hear  them  reverberating  around  and  above  us,  till 
all  were  ready  to  cheer  through  admiration. 

The  Campanile,  or  clock-tower,  as  the  Leaning 
Tower  is  called,  begun  in  1174,  and  finished  in  1350, 
rises  in  eight  different  stories,  and,  like  the  Baptist- 
ery, is  surrounded  with  half  columns  and  colon- 
nades. It  leans  twelve  feet  out  of  perpendicular, 
and  whether  built  so  on  purpose,  or  whether  it  has 
settled,  is  still  a  matter  of  discussion.  It  seems  as 
if  built  so.  Two  hundred  and  ninety-four  steps 
enable  us  to  reach  the  top,  and  look  down  the. lean- 
ing side  with  a  feeling  that  it  is  falling.  A  line 
view  of  the  country  is  seen  from  the  top,  the  sea 
some  six  miles  to  the  west.  It  contains  six  bells; 
the  heaviest,  weighing  six  tons,  is  on  the  side  oppo- 
site the  overhanging  wall. 

The  Campo  Santo,  or  burial-ground,  is  in  many 
ways  remarkable  for  paintings,  statuary,  etc.,  but 
chiefly  to  me  for  fifty-three  ship-loads  of  earth 
brought  from  Mount  Calvary,  and  deposited  here 
for  a  sacred  burial-place;  so  I  have  walked  upon 
the  soil  of  Mount  Zion. 

Florence  was  the  next  place  of  interest;  for  from 
it  have  emanated,  almost  exclusively,  the  Italian 
language  and  literature.  Here,  also,  the  fine  arts 
have  attained  the  zenith  of  their  glory.  A  vast 
profusion  of  treasures  of  art  is  here,  such  as  is 
found  in  no  other  place  within  so  narrow  limits — 
reminiscences  of  all  Europe,  imposing  monuments, 
and  the  delightful  environs  of  the  city  —  altogether 
making  Florence  one  of  the  most  delightful  places 
in  the  world.  Besides  wandering  through  vast  and 
numerous  halls  of  the  fine  arts,  we  also  traversed 


272  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

the  elegantly-furnished  rooms  in  the  palace  of  Vic- 
tor Emmanuel,  and,  while  admiring  the  beauty  and 
grandeur  of  the  soldier-guarded  palace,  could  not 
help  thinking  how  the  millions  toil  that  a  few  may 
revel  in  luxury. 

Leaving  Florence,  we  have  twenty-seven  hours' 
ride  to  Geneva,  passing  Turin,  a  city  once  destroyed 
by  Hannibal,  B.C.  218,  now  with  a  population  of 
over  one  hundred  and  eighty  thousand.  Shortly 
after  leaving  this  city  we  began  the  ascent  of  the 
Bernese  Alps,  winding  through  beautiful  valleys, 
climbing  up  the  sides  of  mountains  amid  grape- 
fields  without  number.  "Wilder  and  more  pictur- 
esque the  scenery  becomes — cottages  in  seemingly 
inaccessible  places  on  steep  mountain-sides;  red-tile 
covered  hamlets  far  below  us;  snow-covered  mount- 
ain peaks  far  above  us — and  so  for  many  an  hour  we 
wend  our  way  upward  through  tunnels  too  frequent 
to  count  them,  till  finally  we  enter  the  famous  Mont 
Cenis  tunnel,  seven  miles  through,  requiring  twenty- 
eight  minutes  in  the  passage.  Then  descending 
through  like  Alpine  scenery,  we  reach  at  length  the 
river  Rhone,  and  then  again  begin  our  ascent, 
passing  through  ever-varying  scenery,  over  rivers, 
under  mountains,  around  lakes  clear  and  beautiful 
in  their  deep  valleys — still  onward  and  upward,  till, 
in  the  midst  of  a  thunder-storm,  at  10  P.M.,  we  enter 
Geneva,  glad  to  have  something  to  eat  and  a  bed. 
Saturday  morning  is  clear,  and  we  spend  the  day 
delighted  with  the  place  and  its  surroundings,  in  a 
most  beautiful  valley  at  the  end  of  the  lake,  whose 
waters  are  pure  as  spring  water.  Around  are  lofty 
mountains  as  background  to  fine  houses,  while, 
forty  miles  away,  concealed  under  a  vail  of  clouds, 
we  are  told,  lies  or  stands  Mont  Blanc,  the  monarch 
of  mountains.  All  day  long,  at  intervals,  I  turned 
my  eyes  in  that  direction,  hoping  to  see  it.  At  length 
toward  sunset  the  clouds  lifted,  and  revealed  tho 


LETTER  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.        273 

coveted  sight.  Clear,  cold,  and  lofty,  stood  his 
bared  head  leaning,  as  it  were,  against  a  clear,  blue 
sky.  As  the  sun  sank  lower  and  behind  lesser 
mountains,  the  snowy  peak  of  Mont  Blanc  caught 
his  setting  rays  and  sent  them  back  to  us  in  golden 
colors.  Higher  and  higher  climbed  the  sunless 
shade,  till  on  the  summit  rested,  as  it  were,  the 
golden  crown  of  setting  day;  then,  as  its  last  color 
left  his  royal  head,  the  silver  moon  appeared  from 
behind,  caught  the  last  tinge,  and  with  serene  maj- 
esty bore  it  aloft  into  the  mid-heavens.  So  ended 
the  week. 

Sunday  morning  found  me,  at  half-past  eight 
o'clock,  wending  my  way  to  hear  the  famous  Pere 
Hyacinthe  preach,  and  at  eleven  o'clock  I  was  in  the 
American  Chapel  to  hear  once  more  a  sermon  in 
plain  English. 

Monday  morning  we  steamed  across  the  beautiful 
Lake  of  Geneva,  past  the  palace  of  Baron  Roths- 
child, past  the  prison-castle  of  Chillon,  and  on  amid 
enchanting  scenery  to  Lausanne;  then  took  cars, 
and  about  5  P.M.  arrived  at  Berne,  the  capital  of 
Switzerland.  Berne  means  bear,  which  seems  to 
have  been  the  deity  of  the  Swiss  in  ancient  times. 
Bears  take  the  place  of  men  and  lions  as  statuary. 
Churches  are  adorned  with  them,  houses  and  tem- 
ples ornamented  with  them,  and  even  a  den  of  live 
ones  is  kept  at  the  city's  expense.  Here,  also,  is  a 
famous  clock,  in  a  tower  built  between  1100  and 
1200.  When  about  to  strike  the  hour,  a  cock  flaps 
his  wings  and  crows  (pretty  well  for  a  cock  seven 
hundred  years  old).  Then  a  procession  of  bears,  on 
foot  and  horseback,  march  out  around,  and  back 
again.  Next,  old  Father  Time,  seated  above,  turns 
his  hour-glass  and  waves  his  scepter;  then  a  man 
above  strikes  the  hour;  a  bear  one  side  of  him  turns 
his  head  and  listens  to  each  blow;  then,  away  up  in 
the  belfry,  an  iron  man  rings  out  the  hour  for  the 


274          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

city;  the  cock  once  more  flaps  his  wings  and  crows, 
and  for  an  hour  the  show  is  ended. 

A  few  hours  more,  and  we  are  at  Interlachen, 
the  Saratoga  of  Switzerland.  Hotels,  rather  than 
churches,  are  the  objects  of  attraction — sumptuous 
within,  and  beautiful  without,  and  around  a  small 
rich  valley,  surrounded  by  very  lofty  mountains,  be- 
tween two  of  which,  in  the  background,  rises  white 
and  cold,  the  Jungfrau,  next  to  Mont  Blanc,  the 
mountain-wonder  of  Europe.  The  sun  gilds  it  in 
his  setting,  and  the  moon  silvers  it  in  her  rising, 
and  we  drink  in  the  grandeur  of  the  scene. 

Next  morning  at  7  sharp,  we  took  carriages  to 
Grindelwald,  fifteen  miles  away,  with  two  added  on 
foot,  to  see,  and  feel,  and  enter  a  live  glacier.  We 
have  seen  the  frozen  river  of  ice,  entered  its  grotto, 
seen  its  wearing  action  on  the  rocks  beside  and  be- 
neath ;  and  now,  according  to  traveling  custom,  are 
entitled  to  wear  white  scarfs  on  our  hats — said  to  be 
a  sign  of  having  seen  a  glacier.  None  of  the  "Ed- 
ucated Tourists,"  as  our  party  is  now  called,  has  yet 
put  on  the  white  scarf.  We  enjoy  mountain  scenery 
and  Swiss  cottages  all  the  way,  as  well  as  snow- 
peaks  and  glaciers. 

At  5  P.M.  we  cross  Lake  Brientz  to  Griesbach,  and 
in  the  most  cosy  and  elevated  dell  spent  the  night. 
Beautiful  for  situation  is  the  hotel  and  all  its  sur- 
roundings of  high  mountains,  and  the  lake,  eight 
hundred  feet  below  us.  Chief  among  the  attrac- 
tions is  a  fine  cascade  coming  over  the  rocks  fifteen 
hundred  feet  above  us,  and  in  seven  successive  leaps 
reaching  the  lake  below  us,  and  in  very  nearly  a 
straight  line.  At  half-past  nine  we  were  summoned 
by  a  bell  to  seats  directly  in  front  of  the  cascade. 
Torches  were  seen  winding  among  the  dark  spruce 
evergreens  bordering  the  stream  up  above  us  and 
down  below  us.  Presently  a  rocket  from  the  upper- 
most part  shot  out  into  the  sky;  soon  it  was  an- 


LETTER  FROM  EEV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.        275 

swered  by  one  at  our  feet,  and  instantly,  from  lake 
to  crest,  Roman  candles  flashed  on  the  foaming 
waters  and  from  the  caverns  behind,  illuminating 
the  whole  surroundings ;  anon  red  lights  intervened, 
then  white.  The  uppermost  cavern  gleamed  like  a 
burning  volcano;  the  midmost  one,  lighted  back  of 
the  water,  was  brilliantly  beautiful,  while  the  lurid 
glare  from  the  deep  gulf  below  us  was  suggestive 
of  a  burning  lower  world.  Not  the  water  only,  but 
the  trunks  and  branches  of  the  bordering  and  over- 
hanging trees,  lit  up  by  the  strong  and  mingled  red, 
green,  and  white  Bengal  lights,  presented  a  combi- 
nation of  natural  and  artificial  beauty  seldom  wit- 
nessed by  pleasure-seekers. 

Next  morning  we  crossed  the  lake  again,  and  took 
diligences  over  the  Alps  by  what  is  known  as  the 
Bruni  Pass,  going  thus  from  the  valley  of  the 
Ehone  into  the  valley  of  the  Rhine. 

Crossing  Lake  Lucerne,  we  enter  a  city  of  the 
same  name,  pleased  with  the  wild  mountain  ride, 
and  made  tired  by  the  same.  Next  day  we  spend 
upon  the  lake — the  most  beautiful  and  historic  in 
Switzerland  —  the  Lake  of  the  Four  Cantons. 
Among  other  places,  the  Tell  Platz  may  most  in- 
terest my  readers,  being  the  place  where  William 
Tell  sprang  from  the  boat,  pushing  his  jailers  back 
into  the  stormy  waters,  and  escaping  up  the  mount- 
ains. The  event  of  the  day  was  the  ascent  of 
Mount  Rigi  in  cars,  five  thousand  feet — an  average 
ascent  of  one  foot  in  four  all  the  way.  From  the 
top  we  can  see  more  than  a  hundred  snow-capped 
mountain-peaks,  seven  beautiful  lakes,  and  villages 
and  valleys  of  rarest  beauty. 

Again  we  bid  adieu  to  scenes  of  loveliness,  de- 
scend the  Rigi,  and  steam  it  across  the  moonlit  lake 
to  Lucerne.  Another  morning  finds  us  gazing  at  a 
huge  monument  cut  in  the  side  of  a  mountain.  It 
is  known  in  history  as  the  Lion  of  Lucerne — cut  in 


276          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

the  rock  as  a  memorial  symbol  of  many  brave  men 
who  died  in  defending  the  liberty  of  the  Swiss.  It 
represents  a  dying  lion  with  his  forefoot  on  the 
shield  of  the  enemy,  with  a  broken  spear  in  his 
side,  indicating  the  cause  of  his  death.  There  is 
both  pain  and  pleasure  in  his  dying  looks.  The 
whole  is  cut  in  relief  in  a  perpendicular  face  of 
sandstone  rock.  It  is  twenty-eight  feet  in  length, 
and  every  way  well  proportioned.  Beneath  is  a 
little  lake,  or  pond,  around  which  is  kept  a  beauti- 
ful garden,  amid  many  shade-producing  trees.  This 
is  our  ante-breakfast  trip ;  for,  after  eating/we  leave 
for  Basle,  at  which  place  we  stop  and  eat  again. 

There  is  nothing  remarkable  about  this  place, 
save  a  former  curious  custom,  for  hundreds  of  years, 
of  keeping  their  clocks  all  one  hour  in  advance  of 
the  true  time.  Various  reasons  have  been  given  for 
this  custom,  one  of  which  is  that  the  people  were  so 
slow  in  all  things  that  it  was  needful  to  keep  the 
time  ahead;  another  is  that  the  town  was  once 
saved  from  capture  by  their  enemies  by  the  clock 
striking  one  instead  of  twelve.  Twelve  was  the 
signal  agreed  upon  by  the  enemy;  but,  hearing  the 
clock  strike  one,  thought  themselves  belated,  and 
the  citizens  on  the  watch  for  them,  and  so  retreated. 
Still  another  reason  is,  that  once  the  clock  in  the 
tower  was  struck  by  lightning,  and  set  forward  an 
hour,  and  the  superstitious  people  long  afterward 
refused  to  have  it  changed,  and  so  kept  their  time 
by  it.  Be  this  as  it  may,  for  the  last  sixty  years  the 
clocks  keep  the  proper  time.  The  place  is  on  the 
river  Rhine,  and  the  last  of  our  Switzerland  cities. 

A  few  moments'  ride  brings  us  into  France,  on 
the  border  of  which  we  stop  to  have  our  luggage 
examined  by  polite  French  officials,  after  which  we 
speed  our  way  some  three  hundred  and  twenty 
miles  through  the  domain  of  France,  some  fifty 
miles  of  the  distance  being  through  that  portion 


LETTER  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.        277 

lately  taken  from  France  and  added  to  Germany. 
Night  comes  down  upon  us,  and  our  view  of  the 
country  along  to  Paris  is  mostly  by  moonlight. 

By  seven  o'clock  Siyiday  morning  we  are  in 
nearly  the  center  of  Paris  city — hungry,  of  course, 
having  had  nothing  to  eat  since  four  o'clock  on  Sat- 
urday. Our  first  day  here,  then,  is  Sunday,  and  we 
see  shops  open  as  on  any  other  day.  We  walk 
along  the  Boulevards  in  the  afternoon  and  evening 
to  see  the  gay  turn-outs  of  pleasure-seekers — to  see 
Punch  and  Judy  shows  at  every  turn.  Circuses, 
shows,  and  concerts  have  many  visitors;  all  is  gay- 
ety,  and  one  would  not  have  reason  to  think  it  was 
the  Lord's-day.  A  city  of  two  million  people  can- 
not be  seen  in  a  day;  so  we  shall  tarry  here  nearly 
a  week,  and  then,  perhaps,  material  enough  for  a 
letter  may  be  gathered,  and  a  whole  letter  from 
Paris  greet  your  many  readers.  Meanwhile,  be  pa- 
tient, if  a  week  goes  by  without  a  letter.  There  is 
an  old  proverb,  "A  patient  waiter  is  no  loser." 


278          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"  Paris  is  France." — Views  on  the  wicked,  beautiful  city — • 
Strolls  in  historic  localities,  some  of  which  have  been  bap- 
tized in  blood  of  saint  and  sinner. 

PARIS,  August  12,  1873. 

MY  last  left  me  finishing  up  Switzerland  at  Lu- 
cerne. Leaving  there  at  ten  o'clock,  we  passed 
through  a  beautiful  country  to  Basle.  This  is  one 
of  the  finest  cities  in  Switzerland.  The  buildings 
are  of  a  more  modern  style.  The  greater  part  of 
the  city  is  on  the  left  bank  of  the  Rhine.  Our 
hotel  being  on  the  river,  we  had  to  pass  through 
the  best  portion  of  it  from  the  depot.  Owing  to 
its  situation  at  the  junction  of  the  frontiers  of 
France,  Germany,  and  Switzerland,  it  maintains 
its  position  as  a  place  of  great  commercial  activity. 
The  cathedral — a  monster — is  the  chief  attraction 
of  the  place  for  tourists.  It  is  built  of  red  sand- 
stone. The  older  portion  dates  from  1010,  and  is 
of  the  Byzantine  order;  but  in  1356  a  considerable 
part  was  destroyed  by  an  earthquake,  and  it  was 
rebuilt  in  Gothic  style.  Among  the  relics  £>f  the 
ancient  structure  are  the  statues  of  Christ  and  St. 
Peter,  and  the  wise  and  foolish  virgins.  Great 
Roman  antiquities  have  been  found  in  this  vicinity. 
It  has  a  population  of  forty-five  thousand.  We 
spent  only  a  few  hours  here,  aft  or  partaking  of  a 
good  dinner  at  a  fine  hotel  on  the  margin  of  the 
river. 


PARIS.  279 

Leaving  Basle  at  five  o'clock,  we  soon  enter  what 
was  the  territory  of  France.  The  late  unfortunate 
war  with  Prussia  took  this  country  from  her  do- 
minion. It  was  one  of  the  best  and  richest  depart- 
ments. "We  had  several  hours  of  daylight,  and  our 
train,  running  some  forty  miles  per  hour,  gave  us  a 
good  opportunity  to  see  France.  There  are  but  few 
tine  houses,  only  in  the  cities.  The  land  here,  as 
almost  everywhere  we  have  been,  is  cut  up  in  small 
patches,  and  cultivated  by  those  who  live  in  the 
adjacent  villages. 

The  full  moon  shines  brightly,  and  we  sit  up  to 
look  at  this  remarkable  country,  and  the  places 
which  have  witnessed  so  many  changes.  Sunday 
morning  opens  upon  us  some  five  or  six  miles  from 
this  city.  The  first  persons  we  see  are  the  reapers 
of  wheat,  now  being  harvested.  No  Sabbath  is 
recognized  in  town  or  country,  only  as  a  holiday, 
while  many  pursue  their  daily  avocations  as  usual. 

Paris  is  seen  in  the  distance.  All  are  anxious  to 
get  a  view  of  this  great  city  as  we  approach  its  en- 
virons. At  the  depot  we  learn  that  the  hotels  are 
full  and  we  must  be  divided,  as  rooms  cannot  be 
obtained  for  so  large  a  party  at  either  of  those  as- 
signed us.  I  have  comfortable  quarters  at  the  St. 
Petersburg,  with  about  half  our  party. 
.After  arranging  some  things,  we  are  off  to  the 
Scotch  Presbyterian  Church,  near  the  Tuileries. 
Some  thirty-five  persons  only  are  present.  As  we 
were  near  the  place  about  which  I  have  read  and 
heard  so  much,  it  was  the  place  I  most  desired  to 
see.  What  a  mass  of  ruins  is  here !  At  one  end 
all  was  burnt  that  could  be  consumed.  The  new 
buildings,  extending  to  the  magnificent  passage  in 
front  of  the  bridge  of  St.  Peter's,  were  injured  but 
little.  The  roofing  of  the  apartments  of  the  ex- 
Prince  Imperial  only  wtis  damaged.  The  sculpture, 
statues,  groups,  and  ornaments  of  these  magnificent 


280          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

buildings  have  not  been  injured.  We  passed  through 
the  former,  went  across  the  bridge,  and  remained 
for  some  two  hours  viewing  the  most  extensive 
building  I  ever  saw.  After  dinner  we  visited  a 
large  church  in  which  people  were  worshiping,  and 
from  the  front  of  which  there  rushed  streams  of 
water. 

Paris  is  the  best-planned  city  we  have  seen.  The 
extensive  boulevards  running  around  and  through 
the  city,  beautifully  shaded,  and  leading  to  the  focal 
points,  make  it  easy  to  comprehend.  They  run  one 
into  another  in  such  a  manner  that  you  need  not 
miss  your  way  through  the  city.  It  seems  to  have 
been  arranged  for  military  defense  better  than  any 
I  have  ever  seen.  It  has  had  more  occasion  to  use 
those  streets  for  that  purpose  than  any  in  modern 
times.  No  place  in  the  world  can  boast  of  such 
thoroughfares  as  Paris.  It  is  greatly  indebted  to 
Louis  Napoleon  for  its  magnificent  boulevards. 

Monday  morning  we  take  a  large  open  carriage, 
containing  twenty-four  persons,  and  spend  the  day 
with  a  guide.  The  first  object  of  interest  is  the 
church  La  Madeleine,  begun  by  Louis  XIV.,  con- 
tinued by  Napoleon,  who  intended  it  as  a  temple. 
After  the  restoration  it  was  finished  as  a  church. 
It  is  a  beautiful  structure,  raised  on  an  immense 
platform  three  hundred  and  eighty -eight  feet  in 
length  by  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet.  Forty-eight 
Corinthian  columns  fifty  feet  high  surround  it,  hav- 
ing the  shape  and  style  of  a  Grecian  temple.  It  is 
one  of  the  finest  edifices  in  Europe.  As  it  is  near 
our  hotel,  I  have  visited  it  again  and  heard  its 
organ. 

We  next  view  the  Tuileries,  and  the  immense 
space  where  the  Exchequer  was  burned  by  the 
Commune;  then  the  gardens,  statues,  and  fount- 
ains ;  then  the  triumphal  arch  of  Louis  Philippe 
and  the  triumphal  arch  of  St.  Martin;  the  new 


NOTRE  DAME.  281 

theater  of  1871,  the  old  Bastile  of  1798,  the  prison 
of  1830,  and  the  column  of  Charles  X.,  over  the 
canal,  running  six  miles;  this  the  Commune  en- 
deavored to  blow  up  by  a  boat  running  under  it, 
but  it  exploded  too  soon.  Here  we  see  cannon-shot 
all  around,  and  here  the  last  of  the  Commune  were 
shot  themselves.  Here  immense  quantities  of  goods 
were  burned  by  the  Commune.  Here  is  the  vicinity 
of  the  insurrections  of  Paris,  and  on  this  immense 
column  are  put  inscriptions  commemorative  of  the 
three  days  of  fighting  in  1830.  Mercury  crowns 
the  column,  and  an  inscription,  uTo  the  glory  of 
the  citizens  who  fought  for  liberty,"  in  memory  of 
the  revolution  of  1830. 

We  then  go  to  the  famous  prison  where  the  arch- 
bishop and  nine  others  suffered  by  the  guillotine. 
It  is  the  place  where  executions  now  take  place.  It 
is  famous  for  having  been  where  the  royal  and 
ecclesiastical  blood  has  been  shed  freely. 

We  also  visit  the  Zoological  Gardens,  which  are 
very  extensive.  Every  plant,  flower,  and  shrub  in 
the  world  is  said  to  be  here.  The  animals  were 
eaten  during  the  war,  but  have  been  replaced  by 
others.  They  excel  those  of  London. 

We  spent  some  time  viewing  Notre  Dame,  a 
church  commenced  in  522 — the  most  ancient  church 
in  Paris.  Napoleon  and  Josephine  were  crowned 
in  it.  The  Archbishop  of  Paris  was  killed  at  the 
foot  of  the  column,  in  1848,  while  attempting  to 
pacify  the  tumult.  It  is  in  the  form  of  a  Latin 
cross,  with  three  naves  and  twenty-four  chapels. 
The  cushion  on  which  the  crown  was  deposited 
when  Napoleon  was  crowned,  a  solid  gold  cross, 
and  two  Russian  banners,  are  among  the  sacred 
relics  that  adorn  the  church. 

Near  this  church  is  the  place  where  those  people 
who  are  drowned,  or  are  found  dead,  are  kept  until 
recognized.  It  was  solemn  to  see  it.  Our  guide 


282          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 

would  not  go,  but  told  us  to  do  so  if  we  desired, 
while  he  waited  for  us. 

Our  visit  to  the  cemetery  was  full  of  interest. 
Many  names  with  which  we  were  familiar  are  seen 
here — in  the  department  of  literature,  science,  and 
war.  I  took  the  names  of  many,  but  have  not  time 
to  transcribe  or  comment  upon  them.  Napoleon's 
marshals  sleep  here.  I  plucked  a  flower  and  an 
evergreen  from  Marshal  Ney's  grave.  As  I  looked 
at  these  marshals'  graves,  I  could  but  reflect  upon 
the  vanity  of  earthly  glory.  This  is  a  great  city  of 
the  dead,  some  four  or  five  miles  in  extent. 

Napoleon's  Tomb. — We  go  to  Napoleon  the  First's 
tomb,  at  the  Chapel  of  the  Invalides.  This  I  de- 
sired to  see  above  all  others.  A  tower  crypt  occu- 
pies the  center  of  the  dome,  and  in  the  middle 
stands  the  sarcophagus  containing  the  emperor's 
remains.  The  circumference  forms  an  open  gallery, 
the  pillars  of  which  are  decorated  with  embossed 
figures  bearing  palms,  and  bearing  the  symbols  of 
the  emperor's  victories.  The  second  part  of  the 
monument  is  an  altar  raised  on  a  basement  oppo- 
site the  dome.  It  is  adorned  with  four  columns 
surmounted  with  a  rich  canopy.  This  work,  in- 
cluding the  columns,  is  of  black  marble  from  Egypt. 
The  third  part  of  the  monument  is  a  chapel,  con- 
structed under  the  ground  of  tlie  dome — a  veritable 
subterranean  crypt,  lighted  with  a  lamp  on  a  slab 
of  black  marble.  These  immortal  words  of  the 
emperor  are  traced  in  his  testament :  "  I  desire  that 
my  ashes  may  rest  on  the  banks  of  the  Seine, 
among  the  French  nation  I  loved  so  much."  The 
sarcophagus  measures  four  yards  in  length,  two  in 
breadth,  and  four  in  height,  and  is  formed  of  four 
blocks  of  Fontainebleau  quartz  of  antiquity,  which 
is  inestimable.  It  required  a  steam-engine  to  polish 
it.  The  last  chest,  which  has  received  the  cedar  and 
leaden  coffin  brought  from  St.  Helena,  is  of  a  ma- 


TOMB  OF  NAPOLEON  I.  283 

terial  called  algila,  coming  from  Corsica.  On  the 
7th  day  of  May,  1861,  the  mortal  remains  of  this 
most  remarkable  man  were  brought  from  their  rest- 
ing-place and  deposited  here,  in  presence  of  the 
dignitaries  of  State.  It  was  on  the  12th  of  May, 
1840,  that  the  Chamber  of  Deputies  determined  to 
remove  them  from  St.  Helena.  For  twenty  years 
they  were  deposited  in  St.  Jerome  Church  of  the 
Invalides  Hotel,  and  now  finally  rest  in  a  manner 
no  monarch  ever  did.  It  is  the  most  gorgeous 
monument  I  ever  saw.  The  dome  of  the  church, 
covered  with  gold,  shines  out  from  every  point 
where  you  can  see  the  city.  The  opened  part  of 
the  crypt  is  lighted  by  twelve  bronze  lamps,  the 
models  taken  from  Pompeii.  The  succession  of 
basso-relievos  is  of  black  marble,  and  is  called  the 
Sword -room.  It  contains  various  relics,  and  the 
banners  taken  from  the  different  nations  which  he 
conquered — the  golden  crown  voted  by  Cherbourg, 
and  sixty  banners,  coming  from  the  victories  he 
achieved  over  his  enemies.  The  monument  has 
cost  three  millions.  Crowds  go  to  see  it  daily.  We 
met  a  great  many — or  rather,  saw  them — as  they 
passed  out  at  another  gate.  These  people  glory  in 
the  name  of  Napoleon. 

We  ascend  the  triumphal  arch  erected  in  honor 
of  his  many  victories.  There  are  twelve  avenues 
meeting  here.  From  the  top  of  this  arch  we  have  the 
finest  view  of  the  city  and  its  surroundings  I  have 
seen.  For  miles  far  away  in  every  direction  you 
can  see  down  these  avenues  the  most  magnificent 
buildings,  the  finest  parks,  gardens,  statues,  fount- 
ains— in  fact,  every  thing  of  grandeur  and  magnifi- 
cence that  the  imagination  can  well  picture,  to  make 
the  most  beautiful  city  in  the  world. 

I  now  realize  more  fully  than  ever  the  expression 
that  "  Paris  is  France."  The  French  glory  in  their 
splendor  and  gayety.  In  this  city  they  have  much 


284          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

to  stimulate  their  national  pride,  much  of  ancient 
art  and  modern  improvement  in  science. 

They  must  have  amusements,  and  they  have  them 
to  a  greater  extent  than  any  other  people  of  whom 
I  have  any  knowledge.  To  walk  out  of  an  evening 
on  any  of  their  boulevards,  especially  about  their 
gardens,  one  will  see  more  of  some  things  than  in 
any  other  place  I  have  ever  been.  There  are  many 
places  where  they  have  concerts  of  various  kinds 
in  open  air.  We  were  passing  one  of  these  last 
night,  and  we  stopped  awhile  and  saw  quite  a  vari- 
ety of  things,  as  well  as  heard  some  very  tine  music, 
vocal  as  well  as  instrumental.  The  French  feel 
deeply  their  present  humiliation,  at  times.  We  see 
them  in  national  mourning  for  their  misfortunes. 
A  young  lady,  dressed  in  mourning,  came  out  and 
sang  one  of  their  national  airs,  which  moved  the 
crowd  to  such  an  extent  that,  though  I  did  not  un- 
derstand a  word  she  said,  yet  I  found  the  unbidden 
tear  stealing  from  my  eyes  in  sympathy  for  them. 

France  will  yet  recover  her  lost  glory,  and,  when- 
ever the  time  comes,  will  show  that  there  are  re- 
cuperative energies  within  her  that  can  and  will 
restore  her  to  the  position  she  has  occupied  among 
the  nations  of  earth. 

I  did  not  intend  expressing  opinions,  but  merely 
to  give  a  running  sketch  of  what  I  have  seen  as  I 
pass  hurriedly  through  the  cities  and  countries  of 
Europe. 


Lingering  in  Paris — Sight-seeing  in  the  finest  city  in  the 
world — Versailles  and  its  antique  remains  of  royalty — 
The  Tuileries — Pantheon — St.  Cloud — Gobelin. 

PARIS,  August  14,  1873. 

Our  third    day  was    spent  in   Versailles,    some 
twelve  miles  from  Paris.     This  was  formerly  the 


THE  GRAND  TRIANON.  285 

second  town  of  France,  having  100,000  people, 
mostly  nobility  and  gentry.  The  splendor  of  this 
city  under  Louis  XIV.,  who  had  Mansard  to  build 
him  the  palace  and  lay  out  the  parks  and  gardens 
at  an  average  cost  of  forty  million  pounds  sterling, 
ceased  with  the  unfortunate  Louis  XVI.,  for  Paris. 
Louis  Philippe  had  it  devoted  to  a  museum  for  the 
glories  of  the  illustrations  of  France.  The  palace 
is  divided  into  three  great  divisions.  "We  went 
through  some  of  these  once  famous  buildings, 
which  are  filled  with  the  most  wonderful  collection 
of  paintings,  relating  to. the  history  of  France.  The 
chapel  is  one  of  the  finest  we  have  seen.  The  ceil- 
ing is  eighty-six  feet  high,  with  magnificent  frescoes 
and  a  mosaic  pavement  of  great  beauty. 

The  Grand  Trianon  is  a  small  palace  four  hun- 
dred feet  long,  built  by  order  of  Louis  XIV.  in 
1683,  in  the  grounds  of  the  park.  It  was  the 
favorite  residence  of  Napoleon  I.,  and  is  the  usual 
residence  of  Queen  Victoria  when  in  Paris.  Here 
are  to  be  seen  many  of  the  relics  of  the  former 
monarchs  of  France,  showing  what  royalty  was  in 
the  days  of  her  glory. 

President  MacMahon  and  the  Assembly  are  now 
in  session  here,  but  we  could  not  even  look  in  upon 
them.  Soldiers  are  seen  drilling,  cannon  are  point- 
ing out,  and  the  surroundings  seem  warlike. 

The  gardens  are  the  most  extensive  and  magnifi- 
cent I  have  seen.  Sixty  miles  of  ground  are  occu- 
pied by  them  and  the  parks.  There  are  eighty 
fountains,  some  of  them  the  largest  ever  made. 
These  play  only  on  Sundays — others  only  once  a 
month,  arfd  the  whole  of  them  only  once  a  year. 
The  gardens  are  kept  in  fine  order,  but  the  hundreds 
of  groups  of  statuary  around  them  are  neglected, 
and  moss  is  growing  on  them.  We  felt  "  like  one 
who  treads  alone  some  banquet-hall  deserted," 
whenever  we  went  over  these  antique  remains  of 


286          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

royalty,  yet  they  are  grand  in  their  loneliness.  The 
orangery,  which  was  planted  as  far  back  as  1421,  is 
artistically  arranged  in  large  inclosures,  so  as  to 
move  them  in  the  houses  during  winter. 

We  return  to  the  city  by  the  tramway  railroad, 
which  is  a  large  two-story  omnibus  running  within 
an  iron  railing.  On  the  top  of  this  we  had  a  fine 
view  of  the  country  along  the  Seine.  It  is  densely 
populated,  and  a  good  part  of  the  way  is  a  village. 

We  pass  St.  Cloud.  It  is  a  pretty  little  town, 
celebrated  for  its  palace,  which  was  destroyed  during 
the  war.  It  was  the  favorite  resort  of  Napoleon  I., 
and  has  a  park  ten  miles  in  circumference.  As  we 
pass  the  gate  into  the  city,  a  halt  is  made,  to  see  if 
there  is  any  thing  contraband  among  us.  This  is  a 
fine  boulevard  for  miles,  extending  into  the  city. 

The  Siege  and  Bombardment. — Yesterday  morning 
we  went  to  see  the  panorama  of  the  siege  and  bom- 
bardment of  Paris.  This  is  the  most  astonishing 
thing  we  have  seen.  You  go  into  a  large  building, 
ascend  a  winding  staircase,  and  come  out  on  top  of 
what  seems  to  be  a  hill  overlooking  the  city,  where 
the  battle  is  raging.  You  see  no  painting,  no 
moving  of  scenes,  but  the  heavens  above,  with  the 
clouds  obscured  by  the  smoke.  Around  you  is  the 
fort  the  French  are  defending.  Some  of  the  build- 
ings near  are  in  flames,  and  appear  as  natural  as  if 
real.  The  artillery  playing  upon  the  Prussians, 
belching  out  flames  and  smoke.  The  dead  and 
wounded  spread  out  before  you  as  real  (seemingly) 
as  if  you  were  in  a  few  steps  of  them.  The  Prus- 
sian camps  are  seen  in  the  distance.  Other  forts, 
also,  are  attacked.  Other  buildings  are  on  fire. 
The  fort  where  you  are  is  in  ruins,  as  perfectly  nat- 
ural as  if  really  before  you.  Yet  you  see  no  paint- 
ing anywhere,  but  all  is  open,  as  if  you  were  looking 
on  the  strife  all  around  you.  The  city  is  seen  about 
as  it  looks  from  other  directions.  We  are  bewil- 


THE  TUILERIES.  287 

dered — overwhelmed  with  amazement.  Can  this  be 
artificial?  It  is  the  triumph  of  art — a  delusion 
such  as  we  have  never  expected  to  see.  The  earth, 
we  know,  is  real,  the  broken  shells  around  us  are 
real — and  yet  the  others  near  it  are  not.  One  of 
the  banks  of  sand-bags  was  said  to  be  real,  but  the 
others  seemed  as  natural  as  it  did.  Some  one  threw 
a  penny  near  the  cannon,  and  we  heard  it  strike  the 
rock  and  saw  it  afterward.  This  settled  the  ques- 
tion of  there  being  some  things  that  were  not  illu- 
sions, but  the  whole  scene  far  surpasses  any  thing 
we  have  seen  in  this  line.  Every  one  who  visits 
Paris  to  see  should  see  this. 

We  go  to  the  Palace  of  Industry,  built  in  1854, 
for  the  Universal  Exhibition.  Here  are  paintings 
and  statues  of  men  eminent  in  art  and  science. 

We  have  passed  the  Palace  of  the  Tuileries  sev- 
eral times — a  terrible  mass  of  ruins,  but  now  being 
rebuilt.  In  front  is  a  noble  arch  of  Napoleon, 
erected  in  1806.  Here  we  see  a  chariot  drawn  by 
four  horses,  copied  from  those  of  St.  Mark's,  at 
Venice,  to  which  I  have  referred.  Here  is  a  palace 
constructed  by  Julian  the  Apostate,  or  by  his  ances- 
tor Constantius,  toward  the  close  of  the  fourth  cen- 
tury. 

We  spent  some  time  in  the  Pantheon.  Louis 
XV.  laid  the  foundation  in  1764.  The  Assembly 
(in  1790)  converted  it  into  a  temple  to  receive  the 
ashes  of  the  great  men  of  the  country.  In  1822  it 
was  restored  to  a  church,  to  become  in  1830  a  secu- 
lar institution,  and  in  1848  the  scene  of  desperate 
combat  between  the  insurgents  and  the  troops.  It 
is  three  hundred  and  two  by  two  hundred  and  fifty 
feet,  its  summit  being  four  huncfred  and  fifty  feet 
high.  In  the  vaults  are  the  tombs  of  Voltaire, 
Rousseau,  and  several  of  Napoleon's  best  officers. 

Gobelin  Tapestry. — Tapestry  work  is  done  in  Paris 
as  at  no  other  place.  Some  two  hundred  years  since 


288          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

it  was  invented  by  a  Frenchman  named  Gobelin. 
The  emperor  bought  the  right,  and  named  the  estab- 
lishment after  him.  Our  guide  had  permission  from 
the  authorities  to  take  persons  in  to  see  the  manu- 
facture of  it.  We  were  taken  through  the  rooms 
where  the  most  exquisite  work  was  being  per- 
formed. There  were  carpets  requiring  ten  men 
twenty  years  to  make,  and  paintings  copied  so  as  to 
be  exactly  like  the  originals.  These  works  are 
never  sold  from  this  establishment,  as  they  are  used 
only  for  royalty,  or  presented  to  such. 

We  visited  a  number  of  churches  and  other  places 
of  which  I  cannot  now  say  any  thing.  I  thought 
Paris  needed  street  railways,  but  when  I  went  on 
the  steamboats  of  the  Seine,  passing  swiftly  by  and 
stopping  at  convenient  distances,  circling  through 
the  city,  and  the  many  lines  of  omnibuses,  running 
all  around  and  through  the  city — sixteen  miles  for 
ten  cents — I  see  they  have  locomotive  facilities  as 
cheap  as  any  city  I  have  seen.  I  took  those  trips 
to-day  by  river  several  miles,  and  around  the  city, 
at  a  cost  of  less  than  twenty  cents.  The  railroad 
runs  sometimes  above  the  houses,  giving  a  fine  view 
of  the  city  from  several  points  of  observation.  I 
think  there  are  twenty-six  stations  in  the  circle. 
When  it  is  above  the  houses,  there  are  live  large 
stone  columns  across  the  road,  on  which  the  double- 
track  road  is  built.  Under  it  is  a  fine  arcade,  which 
can  be  used  for  various  purposes. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  consider  Paris  the  finest  city  I 
have  ever  seen.  Nature  has  done  much  for  the  loca- 
tion, and  countless  millions  have  been  spent  to 
beautify  and  adorn  it.  The  Academy  of  Music, 
near  where  I  am  writing  to-night,  is  said  to  be  the 
finest  building  in  Europe.  It  is  rapidly  recovering 
from  the  devastations  of  the  war,  and,  if  Mac  Mall  on 
proves  successful  in  his  government,  will  soon  regain 
its  former  prosperity.  The  motto,  "Liberty,  equal- 


PARIS— ITS  POINTS  OF  INTEREST.  289 

ity,  fraternity,"  is  seen  all  over,  the  city  on  the  public 
buildings  and  many  other  places. 

The  position  of  Paris  is  very  much  the  same  as 
that  of  London.  The  Seine,  over  which  are  built 
twenty-live  bridges,  divides  it  in  the  same  manner 
that  the  Thames  divides  London.  The  form  of 
Paris  is  nearly  circular.  It  is  entirely  surrounded 
by  a  fortified  wall,  at  the  different  gates  of  which 
the  customs  are  collected.  It  has  twelve  palaces, 
forty  Eoman  Catholic  churches,  sixteen  Protest- 
ant churches,  one  hundred  ornamental  fountains, 
thirty-eight  markets,  and  twenty  hospitals.  Its 
population  is  about  two  millions,  one-third  having 
been  added  in  the  last  twenty  years. 

For  those  whose  inclination  leads  them  to  fashion, 
amusement,  music,  and  gayety,  Paris  affords  more 
facility  than  any  other  city.  The  citizens  are  intel- 
ligent, polite,  affable,  and  partial  to  Americans, 
who  were  under  many  obligations  to  France  for 
assistance  in  the  time  of  her  greatest  need.  I  gazed 
on  the  portrait  of  the  noble  La  Fay ette  the  other  day 
with  much  interest.  Well  do  I  remember  seeing 
him  when  he  visited  our  country  in  1824,  when  he 
was  welcomed  everywhere  as  the  friend  of  liberty. 
He  stands  prominent  in  a  large  painting  of  the 
surrender  of  Yorktown. 

We  leave  here  in  the  morning  for  London.  I 
may  say  something  more  of  Paris  before  I  close 
these  sketches,  for  much  may  be  truthfully  said  of 
this  city  without  exhausting  the  subject. 

This  is  not  only  the  gayest  and  most  fashionable, 
but  the  most  beautiful  city  in  the  world.  The  hotels, 
I  think,  are  not  so  good  as  in  some  other  European 
cities.  Furnished  apartments  are  said  to  be  much 
cheaper  than  the  hotels. 

One  of  the  most  interesting  monuments  in  the 
city  is  the  triumphal  arch  dedicated  by  Napoleon  I. 
to  the  glory  of  the  French  armies.  It  was  com- 
13 


290         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

menced  on  the  15th  of  August  (which,  I  think,  is 
his  birthday),  1806.  The  work  was  interrupted  in 
1814,  bnt  was  continued  in  1833,  but  not  completed 
till  1836.  Twelve  wide  boulevards  terminate  at  it, 
as  a  focal  point.  We  ascended  to  the  summit,  where 
we  had  the  best  view  of  this  magnificent  city  we 
could  have.  It  is  delightfully  grand  in  every  direc- 
tion. 

The  Egyptian  obelisk,  given  by  the  viceroy  Me- 
hemet  AH,  and  taken  from  the  ruins  of  Thebes,  is, 
perhaps,  the  oldest  thing  of  the  kind  of  which  we 
have  any  knowledge.  It  once  ornamented  the  en- 
trance of  a  palace  constructed  by  Kameses  II.  (six- 
teen centuries  before  Christ).  It  was  brought  to 
Paris  in  October,  1836. 

The  most  frequented  and  deeply-interesting  place 
in  Paris  is  the  garden  of  the  Tuileries,  containing 
about  seventy  acres.  Here  congregate  tens  of  thou- 
sands nightly,  to  hear  the  music  and  witness  the 
performance  of  many  things  that  interest  this  fun- 
loving  people.  All  that  money,  taste,  and  genius 
can  do  seems  to  have  been  done  to  render  these 
places  attractive  to  all  classes  who  visit  them. 

Foremost  among  the  churches  of  Paris  is  Notre 
Dame.  This  cathedral  was  commenced  in  522;  was 
continued,  on  a  much  larger  scale,  to  1160.  It  is 
the  most  ancient  church  in  Paris.  In  the  revolu- 
tion of  1789  it  was  made  a  wine-store,  and  after- 
ward a  hay-loft.  In  1802,  when  Napoleon  ratified 
the  concordat  with  the  pope,  it  was  reestablished  as 
a  church.  It  was  in  this  church  that  Napoleon  and 
Josephine  were  crowned  by  Pope  Pius  VII.,  in 
1804.  The  Italians  are  not  the  only  people  who 
have  fabulous  stories  about  relics.  In  this  church  a 
piece  of  the  real  cross  and  crown  of  thorns  are  to 
be  seen,  having  been  brought  by  St.  Louis  from 
Palestine.  They  were  first  placed  in  the  Sainto 
Chapelle,  built  for  that  purpose  in  1825,  arid  after- 


CATHEDRAL  OF  NOTKE  DAME.  291 

ward  moved  to  the  cathedral  for  greater  safety.  The 
time  for  such  stuff,  I  think,  is  rapidly  passing  away, 
never  more  to  return  among  intelligent  people ;  but 
as  I  am  simply  giving  a  sketch  of  things  as  they 
are,  this  is  one  of  the  many  ways  by  which  the  ig- 
norant masses  have  been  blindly  deluded  to  attach 
importance  to  the  possession  of  relics.  The  interior 
of  the  cathedral  is  of  the  greatest  magnificence. 
The  vaulted  roof,  the  three  naves,  the  twenty-four 
chapels,  the  high  altar,  the  paintings,  the  massive 
pillars  and  columns,  each  a  single  block,  will  excite 
the  admiration  of  every  beholder  of  taste.  It  is  in 
this  choir  that  most  of  the  kings  and  queens,  their 
sons  and  daughters,  have  been  baptized,  married, 
and  crowned.  In  the  sacristy  are  to  be  seen  the 
coronation  mantle  of  Napoleon  L,  and  the  cushion 
on  which  the  crown  was  deposited  during  the  cere- 
mony of  their  coronation;  also,  a  solid  gold  cross, 
presented  by  Napoleon  on  that  occasion ;  two  Rus- 
sian banners,  taken  in  the  Crimea;  and  a  silver  vir- 
gin, presented  by  Charles  X.  This  magnificent 
church  was  condemned  by  the  Commune,  but  was 
saved  by  the  students  of  the  Hospital,  with  the  as- 
sistance of  the  inhabitants  of  the  island  of  the  city, 
in  the  center  of  which  the  cathedral  stands.  Six 
hundred  Communists  took  possession  of  it  on  Good 
Friday,  1871,  at  three  o'clock  in  the  evening,  while 
the  preacher  was  in  the  pulpit.  Fortunately,  the 
troops  of  Versailles  arrived  just  in  time  to  prevent 
its  destruction.  It  was  set  on  fire  the  night  the 
troops  were  entering  Paris. 

The  Pantheon  is  one  of  the  most  magnificent 
buildings  in  the  city.  Its  foundation  was  laid  by 
Louis  XV.,  in  1764.  By  a  decree  of  the  Assembly 
of  1791,  it  was  converted  into  a  temple  to  receive 
the  ashes  of  the  great  men  of  the  country.  In  1822 
it  was  restored  as  a  church,  to  become,  in  1830,  a 
secular  institution,  and  in  1848  the  scene  of  some 


292          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

desperate  combats  between  tbe  insurgents  and  the 
troops,  wbo  ravaged  the  building  by  firing  artillery 
at  the  revolutionists.  In  that  dilapidated  state  the 
emperor,  in  1852,  caused  the  necessary  repairs  to  be 
made,  and  restored  it  to  ecclesiastical  use.  It  is 
three  hundred  and  two  feet  long,  by  two  hundred 
and  fifty  in  breadth  at  the  transept.  The  cupola  is 
two  hundred  and  sixty  feet  above  the  ground.  The 
lantern,  which  crowns  the  summit,  is  four  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  above  the  Seine. 

The  Palace  de  Luxembourg  was  begun  in  1615, 
and  finished  in  1620.  It  was  much  enlarged  in 
1804,  and  great  additions  made  between  1831  and 
1841.  It  has  served  successively  as  the  habitation 
of  princes,  as  a  prison  under  the  first  revolution, 
then  as  a  palace  of  the  Directory  and  of  the  Con- 
sulate; as  a  palace  of  the  Senate  under  the  first 
empire;  as  a  palace  of  the  peers  under  the  restora- 
tion and  under  Louis  Philippe,  and  again  as  the 
palace  of  the  Senate  under  the  second  empire. 
There  are  several  noble  saloons  in  this  palace,  the 
principal  ones  being  those  of  Napoleon  I. 

The  Palace  of  the  Tuileries  was  built  more  than 
three  hundred  years  ago,  but  underwent,  as  did  a 
large  portion  of  Paris,  many  alterations  under  Na- 
poleon III.  This  is  in  front  of  the  Triumphal  Arch 
of  Napoleon  I. ;  but  this,  and  the  whole  of  the  Tuile- 
ries, were  entirely  destroyed  by  the  Commune,  in 
May,  1871,  but  are  now  being  rebuilt.  I  stepped 
the  width,  and  found  it  to  be  about  a  quarter  of  a 
mile;  the  length  about  one-third  greater. 

The  Palace  of  Themis  was  constructed  by  Julian 
the  Apostate,  or  by  his  ancestor,  Constantine,  to- 
ward the  end  of  the  fourth  century.  The  part  of 
the  palace  which  remains  consists  of  some  subter- 
raneous passages,  altars,  urns,  and  sculpture. 

The  military  bands  play  select  pieces  of  music 
every  day,  from  four  to  six  o'clock,  in  the  principal 


FAREWELL  TO  FRANCE.  293 

squares,  parks,  and  wards  of  Paris,  from  the  second 
month  of  spring  to  the  last  month  of  autumn. 

The  damage  done  by  the  Prussians  was  small,  in 
comparison  with  that  done  by  the  Commune.  The 
ruins  of  the  Tuileries,  the  Palais  Eoyal,  the  Minis- 
tere  de  Finances,  the  Hotel  de  Ville,  and  many  less 
important  buildings,  remain  to  bear  witness  of  their 
blind  fury.  Whole  streets,  which  were  razed  to  the 
ground,  have  now  been  entirely  rebuilt,  and  thou- 
sands of  houses,  which  were  more  or  less  injured, 
have  been  so  repaired  that  not  a  trace  of  the  ruinous 
condition  they  were  once  in  can  be  seen.  Eighty 
square  yards  of  the  Gobelin  tapestry  were  consumed, 
with  the  building  in  which  it  was  kept,  and  the 
unique  collection  of  tapestries  of  the  time  of  Louis 
XIV.,  was  also  destroyed  by  the  Commune.  The 
city  and  country  are  recuperating  more  rapidly  than 
any  which  has  been  so  much  devastated  by  the  hor- 
rors of  war.  One  would  not  suppose,  only  when  he 
was  looking  at  some  of  the  ruins,  that  this  gay  city 
had  been  so  recently  suffering  from  foreign  war, 
and,  far  worse,  from  the  dissensions  of  her  own 
people.  Paris  will  soon  be  herself-  again,  without  a 
peer,  or  scarcely  a  rival,  in  the  world  of  beauty, 
grandeur,  and  glory. 


Farewell  to  France — Back  in  London — Dr.  Cummings — Bil- 
lingsgate— The  Tower — The  docks  and  the  shipping. 

LONDON,  August  19,  1873. 

Although  I  have  written  you  three  letters  from 
Paris,  I  feel,  as  some  of  our  party  did,  that  I  am  not 
ready  to  leave  it  yet.  To  go  through  and  around 
the  city  and  see  the  devastations  made  by  the  Com- 
mune after  the  Prussian  war  was  over,  makes  one's 
heart  sick  to  think  of  such  destruction  by  their  own 
people.  France  has  the  desire  for  a  republic  with- 
out the  capacity  to  sustain  one;  and  although  there 


294  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

seems  to  be  peace,  I  think  there  are  elements  of 
discord,  which  will  soon  be  manifested  publicly. 
The  more  intelligent  do  not  desire  a  republic,  but  a 
limited  monarchy.  If  MacMahon  does  not  fill  their 
bill,  I  think  they  will  have  some  ope  in  whose  veins 
flows  royal  blood  to  reign  over  them.  This  party  is 
now  in  the  ascendant,  and  is  increasing  its  influ- 
ence, so  that  I  cannot  believe  the  present  govern- 
ment will  continue  long.  I  inclose  you  an  editorial 
from  the  London  Times,  which,  I  think,  takes  a 
proper  view  of  the  present  status  of  politics  in 
France. 

We  left  Paris  on  Friday  morning.  There  is  some- 
thing captivating  about  that  city.  Some  of  our 
party  remained.  Two  young  ladies  from  Oxford, 
Mississippi,  will  be  here  some  months. 

The  railroad  time  here  is  regulated  to  suit  the 
tides.  Our  train  was  detained  a  short  time.  The 
boat  waited,  but  the  tide  would  not,  and  we  had  to 
await  its  movements.  This  is  the  first  detention  we 
have  had.  It  gave  us  an  opportunity  to  see  the 
whole  of  the  country  in  daylight. 

Rouen  is  the  most  important  city  on  this  route. 
Here,  and  through  all  this  part  of  France,  we  see 
manufactories  of  various  kinds.  The  land  is  not  so 
good  as  it  is  in  England,  nor  is  it  in  so  high  a  state 
of  cultivation. 

We  spent  a  few  hours  at  the  place  of  embarkation 
to  cross  the  Channel.  It  is  an  old  town,  with  many 
who  make  a  living  by  fishing.  We  saw  the  mack- 
erel-fishing process,  with  nets.  Women  are  fishers 
as  well  as  men.  It  was  a  grand  holiday  in  France — 
celebrating  the  Assumption.  We  went  to  a  very 
large  cathedral,  said  to  be  the  oldest  in  France,  to 
witness  the  ceremonies.  White  seemed  to  be  the 
style  of  dressing  for  the  occasion.  Old  women  with 
white  caps,  young  ladies  with  white  head-dresses, 
young  girls  in  blue  and  white.  They  sang  with  a 


LETTER  FROM  REV.  T.  "W.  HOOPER.         295 

vim  I  have  never  heard  in  a  Catholic  church  before. 
They  then  formed  a  grand  procession,  and  marched 
through  the  streets. 

At  six  o'clock  we  sailed  from  France.  I  looked 
back  to  her  chalk  bluffs,  extending  all  along  her 
coast,  reminding  me  of  our  bluffs,  and  sighed  for 
France.  The  sunset,  bar,  and  light-house  were  the 
last  we  saw  of  that  land  of  revolution  and  commo- 
tion. 

We  have  to  wait  for  the  train,  so  that  we  pass 
through  this  part  of  England  in  the  morning.  Here 
large  herds  of  cattle,  and  flocks  of  sheep  are  seen, 
as  the  train  passes  at  the  rate  of  forty  miles  an  hour. 
And  soon  it  brings  us  back  to  London  again.  This 
seems  like  home.  They  are  our  people,  and  like 
Americans.  Sunday  I  went  to  heap  Dr.  Cummings 
in  the  morning,  and  a  celebrated  Episcopalian  at  St. 
Paul's,  in  the  afternoon. 

Yesterday  we  passed  through  that  celebrated 
place,  Billingsgate,  on  our  way  to  the  Tower  of 
London;  thence  to  see  the  docks  and  shipping,  and 
from  there  to  the  British  Museum. 

I  have  not  time  to  say  any  thing  farther,  but  may 
before  I  conclude  these  sketches.  It  is  breakfast- 
time,  and  other  matters  press  upon  me.  I  hope  to 
see  my  friends  in  Memphis  soon. 


Letter  from  the  Eev.   T.  W.   Hooper,   of  Lynchburg,  Va., 
written  for  the  News. 

HOTEL  ST.  PETERSBURG,  PARIS,  ) 
July  16,  1873.     J 

Here  we  are,  at  last,  in  this  beautiful  combination 
of  Sodom  and  Gomorrah — beautiful  in  spite  of  all 
that  the  Communists  have  done  to  destroy  it ;  and 
as  we  walk  its  wide  and  shady  boulevards,  or  prom- 
enade the  magnificent  Champs  Elysees,  we  cannot 
wonder  that  some  enthusiasts  should  write,  "  See 


296          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Paris  and  die."  There  is  one  thing  certain,  and 
that  is,  that  many  of  the  heroes  of  the  past  have 
seen  Paris  and  died  in  the  streets.  We  have  visited 
the  Place  de  la  Concorde,  which  marks  the  spot 
where  the  beautiful  and  virtuous  Marie  Antoinette 
was  beheaded;  and  did  not  grieve  much  when  we 
remembered  that  the  brutal  Kobespierre  there 
plunged  into  that  eternity  which  he  had  passed 
-with  his  victims,  who  are  now  ministers  to  his 
everlasting  remains.  But  it  is  not  worth  while  to 
moralize;  for  were  I  to  attempt  it,  just  think  of  the 
scenes  which  in  three  days  I  have  seen,  to  awaken 
suggestion — the  Madeleine,  the  tomb  of  Napoleon, 
the  Column  of  July,  the  Tuileries  (in  ruins),  the 
Champs  Elysees,  the  Column  of  Victory,  the  Col- 
umn Vendome  (in  ruins),  the  Louvre,  and  a  hun- 
dred other  places  of  historical  interest  and  associa- 
tion, which  would  set  a  salt  on  fire  with  enthu- 
siasm, and  exhaust  all  my  French  quicker  than  you 
can  snap  your  fingers. 

Think  of  my  hearing  Catholic  music  at  Notre 
Dame,  where  the  great  Napoleon  was  crowned  em- 
peror! Think  of  my  looking  at  the  private  apart- 
ments at  the  palace  of  Trianon,  and  also  at  the 
private  bed -room  and  furniture  of  the  deserted 
Josephine — at  the  carriage  in  which  she  rode  away 
in  disgrace,  while  near  it  was  the  one  in  which  he 
and  his  new  wife  rode  into  Paris  on  the  occasion  of 
the  nuptials!  Think  of  my  visiting  St.  Cloud, 
where  the  last  Napoleon  had  his  favorite  residence, 
and  wandering  along  those  shaded,  flowering  drives 
where  the  beautiful  Eugenie  once  rode  in  all  the 
beauty  and  dignity  of  her  imperial  splendor !  When 
I  think  of  all  these  things,  mingled  as  they  are  with 
visible  marks  of  the  Prussian  invasion  and  the  sub- 
sequent " reign  of  terror"  under  the  anarchy  of  the 
Commune,  I  seem  to  have  been  floating  in  a  dream 
of  the  past,  and  can  hardly  realize  that  I  am  actu- 


LETTER  FROM  EEV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.        297 

ally  here  in  the  flesh,  and  that  all  around  me  are 
these  wonderful  palaces  and  promenades  and  boule- 
vards that  are  read  about  at  home. 

But  this  is  certainly  Paris — there  is  no  mistaking 
it.  JS"one  but  Parisians  can  jabber  in  such  uninter- 
pretable  lingo.  The  men,  women,  and  children  all 
talk  French.  The  horses  and  dogs  understand 
French.  The  babies  cry  in  French ;  and  if  I  were 
to  live  here  about  a  year,  I  think  I  could  talk 
enough  to  learn  my  way  about  from  one  place  to 
another  without  carrying  a  map  or  employing  a 
guide.  As  it  is,  we  have  a  jolly  time,  and  have  had 
many  ludicrous  adventures  with  these  people,  who 
will  imagine  that  we  can  speak  French,  and  whom 
we  imagine  must  be  deaf,  because  they  shake  their 
heads  and  mutter  something  when  we  talk  to  them. 

But,  seriously,  American  French  does  n't  pass  in 
Paris  much  better  than  greenbacks,  and  I  have  not 
seriously  regretted  the  want  of  such  a  language. 
When  I  want  to  study  it,  I  will  come  over  here 
and  get  the  genuine  article.  Indeed,  I  have  gotten 
along  remarkably  well,  for  their  English  is  just  as 
bad  as  my  French,  and  between  us  we  manage  with 
signs,  which  serve  every  purpose — with  them  to 
cheat,  and  me  to  be  cheated. 

I  am  confirmed  every  day  in  my  impression  that 
Mark  Twain  is  the  only  man  that  is  fit  to  write  a 
guide-book,  and  that  what  he  writes  about  Paris  is 
true  to  the  letter.  We  hired  his  "  Fergerson,"  or 
one  of  the  family,  yesterday  and  the  day  before,  to 
guide  us.  The  first  day,  he  charged  us  five  shil- 
lings apiece,  and  packed  twenty-four  on  top  of  a 
kind  of  circus  band-wagon,  and  rode  us  around,  to 
the  evident  amusement  of  all  Paris.  Every  now 
and  then  he  would  stop  to  wet  his  whistle,  and  then 
talk — rather  loosely,  as  might  be  imagined.  He 
was  evidently  disgusted,  as  were  some  of  us,  at  the 
tomb  of  Abelard  and  Heloise;  though  some  of  the 
13* 


298          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TKIP  TO  EUROPE. 

ancient  "marms"  almost  went  into  hysterics,  and 
even  went  so  far  as  to  steal  flowers  from  the  in- 
closure,  which  "they  had  n't  ought  to  have  done." 

But,  after  all,  beggars  mustn't  be  choosers;  and 
Scotch  guides,  that  speak  English,  know  the  ropes,' 
and  have  to  tip  a  penny  to  see  the  great  dining- 
halls  and  private  chapel  at  Trianon,  like  our  man 
Cunningham,  are  not  to  be  despised.  And  then, 
he  has  such  a  dogmatic  way  of  taking  down  Yan- 
kees, who,  he  says,  are  the  most  selfish,  uncom- 
promising, dissatisfied  set  of  people  he  ever  saw, 
that  you  are  obliged  to  admire  him.  And  to  us, 
who  are  so  miserably  grum,  he  has  proved  himself 
almost  invaluable;  and  I  would  earnestly  recom- 
mend him  to  all  future  tourists  who  are  fortunate 
enough  to  travel  with  our  kind  and  attentive  friend 
Mr.  Cook,  who,  by  the  way,  has  done  all  that  a 
man  could  do  for  our  comfort  and  convenience. 

But  I  must  close  this  hastily-written  note,  scrib- 
bled at  an  hour  which  I  have  snatched  merely  to 
give  our  readers  some  idea  of  the  scenes  we  have 
visited  while  we  have  been  in  Paris. 

I  would  also  say,  that  last  Sunday  we  heard  a 
capital  sermon  from  Eev.  Mr.  Hitchcock,  of  the 
American  chapel;  but  at  night  I  never  saw  such  a 
Sabbath  desecration.  The  Shah  of  Persia,,  who  is 
quite  a  sharp-looking,  gingerbread  darkey,  is  here, 
and  wherever  we  go  we  find  the  people  in  a  stir. 
Sunday  night  the  city  was  illuminated  in  his  honor, 
and  millions  of  gas-lights  were  blazing  all  over  the 
immense  crowds  that  swa3^ed  in  every  direction,  and 
crowded  all  the  avenues  to  get  a  look  at  his  august 
majesty.  I  saw  him,  and  was  satisfied  that  I  could 
beat  him  on  looks  at  any  of  your  tobacco-factories. 


LETTER  FROM  EEV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       299 


Letter  from  the  Eev.  A.  B.  Whipple,  President  of  Lansing- 
burgh  College,  N.  Y. 

LONDON,  August  19,  1873. 

If  I  remember  rightly,  my  dear  friends  and  Ga- 
zette readers",  I  indirectly  promised  to  write  a  letter 
concerning  Paris,  the  capital  of  France,  and,  as  the 
French  think,  the  capital  of  the  world.  It  really  is 
a  beautiful  city,  embracing  a  population  of  more 
than  two  millions.  It  contains  public  places  and 
buildings  of  historic  interest,  so  numerous  and  so 
varied  as  to  render  a  selection  for  description  quite 
a  puzzle ;  more  especially  when  that  description 
must  be  quite  precise,  to  enable  the  reader  to  see  it 
as  the  writer  does;  add  to  this,  all  must  be  con- 
densed, not  into  a  guide-book,  but  the  narrow  col- 
umns of  a  newspaper. 

Let  me  take  you,  first  of  all,  right  into  the  midst 
of  the  city  to  the  Arc  d'Etoile,  the  largest  and 
finest  sculptured  arch  in  Europe,  built  by  order  of 
Napoleon  to  commemorate  his  victories  of  1805. 
We  pause  a  moment  to  admire  its  size,  design,  and 
workmanship,  and  read  the  names  of  the  places 
where  his  victories  were  won ;  we  see  the  engraved 
honors,  but  not  many  of  the  horrors  of  war.  We 
learn  that  its  solid  concrete  underground  structure 
is  twenty-five  feet  in  thickness,  and  that  all  above 
is  solid  stone.  Learning  so  much,  we  seek  its  sum- 
mit by  two  hundred  and  forty  steps,  and  find  the 
top  is  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  above  the  ground, 
and  the  ground  a  hill ;  and  so  Paris  lies  spread  out 
like  a  huge  living  map  below  us.  We  are  not  long 
in  perceiving  that  the  Triumphal  Arch  is  in  a  con- 
spicuous position.  Twelve  boulevards,  like  spokes 
of  a  wheel,  radiate  from  it.  Down  these  gfand, 
doubly-lined  and  tree-shaded  avenues,  far  into  the 
city,  we  look  with  pleasure ;  and  from  these  same 
boulevards  the  glory -loving  Frenchmen  can  cast 


300          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

their  eyes  up  to  this  Triumphal  Arch,  and  in  heart 
bless  the  author,  and  only  wait  a  few  months  to 
place  the  young  prince  in  power,  and  shout  "Vive 
1'Empereur !  "  The  French  love  the  Napoleons. 

Let  us  look  along  one  boulevard  at  a  time. 
Adown  the  avenue  we  see  myriads  of  seemingly 
happy  people.  On  the  right  we  see  a  grand  build- 
ing :  it  is  the  Industrial  Palace — the  Crystal  Palace 
— rebuilt  for  annual  home  exhibitions.  Farther 
down  is  the  broad  street  called  the  Champs  Elysees 
(Elysian  Fields),  covering  some  forty  acres,  and 
bordering  on  the  Seine.  It  is  finely  shaded  with 
horse-chestnut  trees  laid  out  in  walks,  cut  through 
by  the  avenue  bearing  its  name.  Along  this  the 
aristocratic  drive,  going  to  and  returning  from  the 
park  beyond  the  Arc.  Here,  too,  are  the  amuse- 
ments for  the  people — singing,  coffee-houses,  thea- 
ters, circuses,  and  mimic  shows  in  splendid  variety. 
At  the  lower  end  of  this  avenue  is  the  Place  de  la 
Concorde,  an  open  space  with  fountains  and  fine 
statuary;  and  in  the  midst  the  great  red-granite 
obelisk  of  Luxor,  brought  from  Thebes,  in  Egypt, 
at  immense  expense.  It  is  one  granite  piece,  sev- 
enty-five feet  long,  well  proportioned,  and  with 
Egyptian  hieroglyphics.  It  has  been  known  more 
than  three  thousand  years.  It  stands  on  the  very 
spot  where,  during  the  early  Reign  of  Terror,  stood 
the  guillotine  on  which  were  beheaded  Louis  XVI., 
his  sister  Mary  Antoinette,  and  twenty-eight  hun- 
dred others.  Well  may  a  red-granite  obelisk  cover 
the  spot!  Beyond  this,  in  the  same  direction,  are 
the  gardens  of  the  Tuileries — extended  and  beauti- 
fully-shaded grounds,  lying  immediately  in  front  of 
the  palace.  Within  are  fountains  and  statuary  of 
rare  merit,  altogether  forming  one  of  the  favorite 
promenades  to  Parisians  of  all  classes  and  ages — 
for  here  children  and  their  nurses  do  greatly  abound. 
Still  farther  on  is  the  palace  of  the  Tuileries,  now 


LETTER  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.        301 

mostly  in  ruins ;  the  building  itself,  of  great  extent 
and  many  historical  associations,  also  the  late  impe- 
rial residence,  was  destroyed  in  1871  by  the  Com- 
munal authorities,  for  a  short  time  in  power  in 
Paris.  Adjoining  the  Tuileries  is  the  Louvre — a 
palace  and  great  national  museum.  It  was  partly 
destroyed  by  the  Commune.  Many  of  the  halls 
remain,  and  in  them  are  some  of  the  finest  pictures 
in  the  world;  not  paintings  only,  but  statuary  of 
all  ages  and  nations ;  models  of  naval  and  marine 
architecture,  from  early  ages  to  the  present;  ethno- 
logical specimens,  embracing  the  peculiar  costumes 
and  implements  of  all  nations — as,  for  instance,  the 
idols,  temples,  and  car  of  Juggernaut;  halls  of 
vases,  halls  of  medals,  halls  of  dishes,  halls  of  or- 
naments, halls  of  arts  of  all  kinds,  through  which 
one  may  travel  twelve  miles  without  going  over  the 
same  hall  the  second  time.  I  tried  it,  and  it  took 
me  all  of  one  day.  My  eyes  were  never  tired  of 
seeing;  but  my  legs,  long  ere  the  day  was  done, 
complained  bitterly,  inasmuch  as  marble  floors  and 
oft-repeated  granite  steps  made  even  slow  walking 
very  hard — and  even  now  my  knees  tremble  at  the 
sight  of  stairs. 

Still  farther  on  we  may  enter  Notre  Dame,  one 
of  the  architectural  glories  of  Paris  and  the  world. 
It  has  two  immense  square  towers.  The  whole 
front  and  portals  are  elaborate,  and  within  are  some 
of  the  finest  Gothic  arches  in  Europe.  It  has  a 
wealth  of  stained  -  glass  windows,  splendid  side- 
chapels,  and  a  most  magnificent  high-altar,  at  which 
Napoleon  and  Josephine  were  crowned.  As  an  ec- 
clesiastical object,  it  is  the  most  impressive  in  Paris, 
and  in  grandeur  and  historical  associations  it  can 
hardly  be  excelled  in  Europe.  Across  the  Seine, 
to  the  right,  we  find  an  immense  structure,  built 
by  Louis  XIV.  for  military  hospital  purposes,  and 
afterward  used  by  Napoleon  for  the  same  purpose. 


302          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

It  is  called  the  Hotel  des  Invalides.  Besides  the 
living  remains  of  many  old  and  scarred  veterans, 
there  are  old  pictures  of  old  wars — a  little  real  and 
much  imaginary.  In  the  chapel  are  rotting  battle- 
flags,  from  the  oriflamme  of  St.  Louis  to  those 
taken  at  Sebastopol.  Back  of  this  chapel  is  a 
church  called  the  Dome  of  the  Invalides — so  named, 
perhaps,  from  its  conspicuous  gilded  dome,  enabling 
one  to  see  it  and  know  it  from  afar — more  notewor- 
thy for  what  is  within  and  immediately  under  the 
dome.  In  a  sunken,  circular  space,  in  a  large  red- 
granite  sarcophagus,  surrounded  by  his  moldering 
battle-flags,  between  a  number  of  weeping  marble 
maidens,  lie  the  remains  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte. 
White  marble  and  nice  workmanship  make  the 
church  very  beautiful  within;  and  the  high-altar, 
colored  by  the  light  streaming  through  glass  stained 
with  golden  color,  is  rendered  peculiarly  beautiful. 
Around  in  the  church  are  monuments  containing 
the  remains  of  Yauban,  Turenne,  and  Joseph  Bona- 
parte. Two  empty  rooms  indicate  the  places  se- 
lected by  Napoleon  III.  and  Eugenie  as  their  last 
resting-place.  Whether  recent  events  in  French 
history  will  keep  them  out  remains  to  be  proven. 
My  judgment  is,  that  ultimately  they  will  be  hon- 
ored with  a  place  among  their  illustrious  relatives, 
whom  at  heart  the  nation  loves.  Here,  as  all  through 
Europe,  men  of  great  fighting  ability  are  honored 
after  death  with  admission  to  the  churches,  and 
worshiped  as  heroes,  if  not  canonized  as  saints. 

My  dear  readers,  I  have  only,  as  it  were,  run  a 
little  way  down  one  avenue  in  Paris,  with  brief 
touches.  The  gay  out-door  life,  the  busy  industry, 
splendid  markets,  stores,  etc.,  need  mention ;  but  I 
have  used  my  last  sheet. 


LONDON'S  IMMENSITY.  303 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Loitering  in  London — Prince  Albert's  memorial  monument — 
Description  of  its  beauties,  its  grandeur,  and  sculpture. 

LONDON,  August  3Q,  1873. 

London's  Immensity. — The  time  allotted  for  this 
great  city  has  nearly  expired.  I  feel  inclined  to 
say  something  more  of  a  few  things  here.  The 
longer  I  remain  here,  the  more  I  am  impressed 
with  its  immensity.  It  is  the  only  place  we  have 
visited  that  we  have  not  been  able  to  comprehend. 
Having  been  composed  of  quite  a  number  of  towns 
by  filling  up  the  intervening  space  between  them, 
it  does  not  present  that  uniformity  which  it  would 
have  done  had  it  been  built  as  one  city.  This  com- 
plicates the  ability  to  grasp  its  proportions.  It  has 
thus  increased  its  population  to  about  three  and  a 
half  millions.  The  wealth  and  intelligence  concen- 
trates in  the  cities,  as  well  as  the  population. 

I  was  more  impressed  with  this  after  visiting  the 
memorial  monument  erected  to  Prince  Albert,  in 
Regent's  Park.  We  went  out  by  the  underground 
railroad,  and  returned  by  two  lines  of  omnibuses. 
In  this  vicinity  are  the  Exposition  buildings,  and  the 
South  Kensington  Museum.  Here  are  the  historical 
paintings  of  England,  embracing  portraits,  not  only 
of  her  kings  and  queens,  but  many  of  other  nations ; 
also,  their  great  men  in  theology,  science,  art,  and 
literature.  Here  I  saw  many  with  whose  names  I 
have  been  familiar  from  my  boyhood.  Wesley's 
was  taken  at  manhood  and  in  old  a°;e.  There  is 


304          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

scarcely  a  prominent  man  in  English  history  whose 
portrait  is  not  to  be  found  in  this  gallery. 

There  are  a  great  many  specimens  of  printing  in 
the  different  stages  of  its  progress,  and  thousands  of 
things  collected  from  England's  colonies,  showing 
the  vast  resources  of  her  territory,  on  which  the 
sun  never  sets. 

I  am  not  surprised  that  Englishmen  are  proud  of 
their  country.  They  have  much  of  which  to  boast 
in  her  past  history,  present  condition,  and  future 
destiny.  They  have  in  their  government  all  the 
civil  and  religious  liberty  that  they  think  is  neces- 
sary. Their  House  of  Commons,  elected  by  the 
people,  have  a  controlling  influence  in  their  parlia- 
ment, so  that  it  may  be  said  the  people  rule. 

Memorial  Monument. — But  I  am  wandering.  I 
started  to  say  something  about  the  most  magnificent 
memorial  monument  there  is  perhaps  in  the  world. 
It  is  to  honor  the  husband  of  their  queen.  The 
monument  is  elevated  upon  a  lofty  and  wide-spread- 
ing pyramid  of  steps.  From  the  upper  platform 
rises  a  continued  pedestal  surrounded  by  sculptures, 
representing  historical  groups  or  scenes  of  the  most 
eminent  artists  of  all  ages  of  the  world,  the  four 
sides  being  devoted  severally  to  painting,  sculpture, 
architecture,  poetry,  and  music.  The  figures  are 
about  six  feet  high.  This  forms,  as  it  were,  the 
foundation  of  the  monument,  and  upon  it  is  placed 
the  shrine.  This  is  supported  at  each  of  its  angles 
by  groups  of  four  pillars  of  polished  granite,  bear- 
ing the  four  main  arches  of  the  shrine.  There  are 
one  hundred  and  sixty-nine  full-sized  marble  statues. 
The  whole  structure  is  crowned  by  a  lofty  shrine  of 
rich  tabernacle-work  in  gilt  and  enameled  metal, 
continued  in  a  cross  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet 
high.  Beneath  this  vast  canopy,  and  raised  upon  a 
lofty  pedestal,  will  be  placed  the  statue  of  the  prince. 
Besides  the  sculpture  already  mentioned  there  are, 


PRINCE  ALBERT'S  MEMORIAL  MONUMENT.    305 

on  pedestals,  groups  illustrating  the  industrial  arts 
of  agriculture,  manufacture,  commerce,  and  engin- 
eering. Above  these,  against  the  pillars,  are  statues 
which  represent  the  greater  sciences  and  the  Chris- 
tian virtues.  At  the  angles  of  the  pyramid  of  steps 
from  which  the  monument  rises  are  four  large 
pedestals,  being  groups  allegorically  relating  to  the 
four  quarters  of  the  globe  and  their  productions. 
The  figures  in  the  niches  idealize  the  four  great 
Christian  virtues — faith,  hope,  charity,  and  humil- 
ity. The  four  statues  at  the  angle  of  the  second 
story  represent  the  four  great  moral  virtues — forti- 
tude, prudence,  justice,  and  temperance.  The.  four 
angels  immediately  over  these  niches  suggest  aspi- 
ration after  heavenly  glory.  The  monument  is 
intended  to  commemorate  his  royal  highness  the 
Prince  Consort,  first  in  rank  and  station  in  the 
United  Kingdom,  except  the  sovereign,  as  the  great 
promoter  of  art,  science,  and  the  social  virtues.  It 
is  the  most  magnificent  thing  of  the  kind  in  the 
world.  It  was  all  made  of  materials  found  in  Eng- 
land, and  by  her  own  artists.  It  was  paid  for  by 
the  spontaneous  contributions  of  the  people. 

If  I  had  time,  I  would  like  to  give  a  description 
of  the  eight  groups  of  sculpture — four  representing 
the  four  continents,  the  other  four  the  industrial 
arts — but  it  would  take  too  much  space.  I  will  say, 
however,  that  the  four  lower  groups  represent 
Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and  America.  The  figure 
representing  England  is  seated  on  a  rock,  against 
which  the  waves  are  dashing.  France,  as  a  mili- 
tary power,  is  shown  holding  a  sword  in  the  one 
hand  and  in  the  other  a  wreath  of  laurel.  Germany, 
the  great  home  of  literature  and  science,  is  repre- 
sented in  a  thoughtful  attitude,  with  an  open  vol- 
ume on  her  knee.  Italy  is  shown  as  awakening 
from  a  dream,  in  allusion  to  her  recent  union  into 
one  kingdom,  the  broken  column  on  which  she  is 


306          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

sitting  referring  to  her  former  greatness.  Asia  is 
represented  by  a  figure  seated  on  an  elephant,  and 
in  the  act  of  raising  her  veil  from  her  face.  The 
poet  represents  Persia  with  his  pen  and  writing- 
case.  In  brief :  China  holding  his  specimen  of 
porcelain ;  the  warrior  of  India  and  Central  Asia 
with  his  weapons,  and  the  Arab  merchant  sitting 
on  his  camel's  saddle  with  the  Koran  beside  him. 
A  general  feeling  of  repose  seems  to  pervade  this 
group.  Africa  is  represented  by  an  Egyptian  prin- 
cess seated  on  a  camel.  On  her  right  stands  a 
Nubian,  his  hand  resting  on  a  half-buried  statue,  in 
allusion  to  the  monumental  glories  of  the  past. 
The  negro,  leaning  on  his  bow,  is  the  representa- 
tive of  the  uncivilized  races  of  that  continent.  The 
camel  was  chosen  for  this  group,  as  it  is  indispen- 
sable in  the  African  deserts,  and  is  used  universally 
as  a  means  of  communication  by  traders,  and  has 
at  all  times  been  characteristic  of  Egypt. 

America  is  placed  on  the  north  angle.  The  group 
consists  of  a  central  figure  of  America  as  a  quarter 
of  the  globe,  mounted  on  a  bison,  charging  through 
the  long  grass  of  the  prairie.  Their  advance  is 
directed  by  the  United  States  on  the  one  side,  while 
Canada  attends  them,  pressing  the  rose  of  England 
to  her  breast.  In  the  other  figures  of  the  composi- 
tion are  represented  Mexico  rising  from  a  trance, 
and  South  America  equipped  for  the  chase.  The 
figures  of  America  are  of  the  Indian  type,  in  native 
costumes  and  feathered  head-dresses ;  the  eagle 
for  the  United  States,  the  beaver  for  Canada,  the 
lone  star  for  Chili,  volcano  for  Mexico,  the  alpaca 
for  Peru,  and  the  cross  for  Brazil.  In  the  compo- 
sition of  this  group  present  progress  and  general 
onward  movement  are  expressed,  and  form  a  con- 
trast to  the  other  three  continents,  which  are  more 
tranquil  in  their  arrangement.  It  is  the  most  ex- 
pressive marble  I  ever  saw.  On  it  you  may  look 


WESLEYAN  CHAPEL  AND  CEMETERY.        307 

for  hours  with  intense  interest.  It  is  in  Hyde  Park, 
containing  three  hundred  and  ninety  acres,  beauti- 
fully laid  off,  and  containing  the  statue  of  Wellington, 
whom  England  delights  to  honor.  Take  it  alto- 

f  ether,  it  far  surpasses  any  thing  of  the  kind  that 
as  ever  been  erected. 

Sacred  to  John  Wesley. — A  number  of  our  party, 
who  had  not  visited  the  City-road  Wesleyan  Chapel 
and  Cemetery,  desiring  me,  I  went  with  them 
once  more  to  that  hallowed  place,  made  sacred  by 
the  life,  labors,  and  triumphant  death  of  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  men  in  English  history.  John 
Wesley  not  only  commenced  an  organization  which 
has  become  the  largest  Protestant  Church,  but  the 
influence  of  the  doctrines  he  preached  has  been  felt 
by  the  Church  of  England  and  other  Churches. 
Here  his  remains  rest  in  the  rear  of  the  church  in 
which  he  labored,  and  within  a  few  steps  of  the 
house  in  which  he  passed  from  earth  to  heaven.  I 
am  glad  the  church,  parsonage,  and  his  house  re- 
main as  they  were  in  his  day.  I  bought  some  ste- 
reoscopic views  of  them,  some  books,  and  memorials 
made  out  of  that  part  of  the  pulpit  which  was  taken 
off  when  it  was  lowered  five  feet.  If  I  venerate 
any  man,  and  the  place  where  his  remains  sleep, 
this  would  be  that  place.  I  saw  and  heard  much  of 
St.  Paul's  prison,  beheading,  and  burial,  both  in  St. 
Peter's  and  St.  Paul's  Churches  in  Borne,  but  I 
know  not  whether  the  places  are  really  the  ones 
they  claim  to  be,  but  here  I  know  sleep  those  whose 
words  and  works  have  shaken  the  world.  Dr. 
Clarke  and  Richard  Watson  and  others,  whom 
Methodists  esteem  as  pillars  of  the  church,  are  here 
together,  moldering  to  their  common  elements, 
while  they — in  the  better  land — have  met  countless 
thousands  who  have  been  aided  in  their  upward 
march  by  their  writings.  John  Bunyan,  whose 
"Pilgrim's  Progress"  has  been  read  by  more  people 


308  A  MEMPHIAN'S  Tr.rp  TO  EUROPE. 

than  any  book  save  the  Bible,  sleeps  just  across  the 
street,  near  the  mother  of  the  Wesleys.  Some 
Baptists  along,  no  doubt,  felt  toward  him  as  I  did 
in  regard  to  those  to  whom  I  have  referred. 

I  have  visited  several  other  places  of  interest 
since  I  wrote,  but  I  find  I  shall  spin  this  Better  out 
too  long  if  I  give  any  account  of  them.  My  time 
is  swiftly  passing,  and  soon  I  must  leave  this  world's 
metropolis  for  home.  I  may,  however,  sketch  some 
items  of  places  and  things  that  may,  perhaps,  be 
read  with  some  interest,  as  they  belong  to  that  peo- 
ple from  whom  we  descended,  and  to  whom  we,  as 
a  people,  sustain  the  most  important  relations,  com- 
mercially, socially,  and  morally.  They  feel  toward 
us  as  brothers,  and  manifest  the  most  lively  interest 
in  our  welfare,  thinking  that — next  to  themselves — 
we  have  the  best  country  and  government  in  the 
world. 


Letters  from  the  Kev.  A.  B.  Whipple,  President  of  Lansing- 
burgh  College,  N.  Y. 

H.  V.  L,  October  14,  1873. 

One  day  while  in  London  I  started  to  find  the 
Patent  Office,  as  I  wished  to  see  the  models  of  the 
many  curious  machines  kept  there  for  sight-seeing 
and  study.  I  found  the  office  only  to  learn  that  the 
models  were  kept  in  the  Museum  of  Arts,  at  South 
Kensington.  A  pleasant  ride  of  an  hour  brought 
me  there;  and  many  an  hour  was  spent  in  looking 
at  the  skill  of  man,  as  shown  in  his  inventions. 
Models  of  almost  every  contrivance  of  man  are 
gathered  here  in  various  halls  and  departments.  At 
home  I  may  tell  of  some  things  I  saw  inside  the 
halls  of  art. 

My  purpose  in  this  letter  is  to  describe  a  work  of 
art  which  (in  its  completeness)  surpasses  any  thing 
else  I  saw  in  my  journey ;  and  I  fear  a  single  letter 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       309 

will  be  insufficient  to  give  a  fall  account;  neverthe- 
less, I  will  begin,  and  your  interest  in  the  subject 
shall  be  the  token  of  continuance  or  discontinuance. 
"What  I  am  about  to  describe  is  called  the  Prince 
Consort  National  Memorial. 

In  constructing  this,  two  objects  seem  to  have 
been  intended — one  to  commemorate  the  love  of  the 
nation  to  the  prince;  the  other,  to  commemorate 
the  great  interest  taken  by  the  prince  in  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  arts  and  sciences.  To  him  Eng- 
land is  greatly  indebted  for  the  World's  Fair  of 
1851,  and  the  present  Crystal  Palace  described  in 
my  last  letter.  As  a  study,  it  is  hoped  that  this  me- 
morial will  stimulate  the  development  of  the  deco- 
rative arts,  and  so,  practically,  illustrate  and  realize 
the  object  to  which  the  prince  incessantly  devoted 
his  energies.  I  will  try  and  picture  the  monument 
in  words,  asking  only  that  you  will  use  your  fancy 
somewrhat  in  trying  to  till  out  the  picture. 

Fancy  you  see  the  base  of  a  granite  pyramid  two 
hundred  feet  square;  walk  up  about  twenty-five 
steps,  and  you  are  on  the  base  of  the  monument. 
From  this  upper  platform  rises  a  continuous  pedes- 
tal, surrounded  by  sculptures  representing  historical 
groups  of  the  most  eminent  artists  of  all  ages  of  the 
world — one  side  devoted  to  painting^one  to  sculp- 
ture, one  to  architecture,  and  one  to  poetry  and 
music.  The  figures,  carved  in  stone,  are  six  feet 
high,  and  in  number  one  hundred  and  sixty-nine — 
forty-two  or  forty-three  on  a  side,  with  the  most  fa- 
mous in  the  center — in  poetry,  Homer;  in  painting, 
Angelo;  in  architecture,  Christopher  Wren;  in 
music,  Beethoven.  All  these  form,  as  it  were,  the 
foundation  of  the  monument  on  which  the  shrine  is 
placed.  This  is  supported  by  groups  of  four  pol- 
ished granite  pillars,  supporting  the  four  main  arches 
of  the  shrine.  Each  side  terminates  with  a  gable, 
in  the  tympanum  of  which  is  a  large  mosaic  picture. 


310         A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

The  intersecting  roofs  are  covered  with  scales  of 
metal  richly  enameled  and  gilded.  The  whole  struc- 
ture is  crowned  by  a  lofty  spire  terminating  in  a 
cross  one  hundred  and  eighty  feet  above  the  ground. 
Under  this  vast  canopy,  on  a  lofty  pedestal,  in  a  sit- 
ting posture,  is  the  statue  of  the  prince. 

In  addition  to  the  sculpture  already  mentioned, 
there  are,  on  pedestals  projecting  from  each  angle, 
groups  illustrating  the  industrial  arts  of  agricul- 
ture, manufactures,  commerce  and  engineering. 
Above  these,  against  the  pillars  arid  in  the  angles 
of  the  gables,  are  statues  representing  the  greater 
sciences,  and  in  the  work  of  the  spire  are  figures  of 
angels  and  of  the  Christian  virtues.  At  the  four 
corners  of  the  pyramid  of  steps,  from  which  the 
monument  rises,  are  four  large  pedestals,  each  bear- 
ing an  allegoric  group  representing  the  four  quar- 
ters of  the  globe  and  their  productions.  These  I 
will  more  minutely  describe,  believing  that  a  specific 
description  will  please  and  instruct  more  than  a 
general  one. 

The  group  at  the  south-west  corner  is  called  Eu- 
rope. It  is  composed  of  five  female  figures  seated. 
The  central  one,  typifying  the  continent,  is  seated  on 
a  bull,  in  allusion  to  the  ancient  mythological  fable ; 
in  her  right  hand  a  scepter,  in  her  left  an  orb,  indi- 
cating the  influence  exercised  over  the  other  conti- 
nents. The  figure  of  England  is  seated  on  a  rock, 
against  which  the  waves  are  dashing ;  in  her  right 
hand  a  trident,  her  left  hand  resting  on  a  shield 
with  the  united  crosses  of  St.  George  and  St.  An- 
drew. 

As  a  military  power,  France  is  holding  a  sword  in 
one  hand,  and  a  wreath  of  laurel  in  the  other. 

The  home  of  literature  and  science,  Germany,  is 
in  meditative  attitude,  with  an  open  volume  on  her 
knee. 

Italy  seems  waking  from  a  dream,  signifying  her 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WIIIPPLE.       311 

recent  union  into  one  kingdom ;  she  is  seated  on  a 
broken  column,  alluding  to  her  former  greatness; 
and  the  lyre  and  the  palette  acknowledge  her  ex- 
cellence in  the  arts  of  music  and  painting. 

The  group  at  the  south-east  angle  represents 
Asia,  the  central  figure  only  being  a  female.  She  is 
seated  on  an  elephant,  and  is  in  the  act  of  removing 
her  veil.  The  prostrate  elephant  signifies  the  sub- 
jection of  brute  force  to  human  intelligence ;  and 
the  poet  of  Persia,  with  his  pen  and  writing-case; 
the  art-manufacturer  of  China,  holding  a  specimen 
of  porcelain ;  the  warrior  of  India,  with  his  weapons ; 
and  the  Arab  merchant,  resting  on  his  camel-saddle 
— all  suggest  learning,  industry,  courage,  and  enter- 
prise, the  combined  elements  of  Asia's  greatness. 
A  characteristic  of  this  whole  group  is  the  spirit  of 
repose  resting,  as  it  seems,  on  a  civilization  un- 
changed for  ages,  and  never  hinting  of  the  past,  nor 
anxious  for  the  future. 

On  the  pedestal,  at  the  north-east,  is  placed  Af- 
rica. On  a  camel  is  seated  the  principal  figure,  an 
Egyptian  princess,  for  the  reason  that  Egypt  was 
the  first  African  power,  and  forerunner  of  civiliza- 
tion. At  her  right  hand  stands  a  Nubian — her  east- 
ernmost dweller — his  hand  resting  on  a  half-buried 
statue,  in  allusion  to  her  past  monumental  glories. 
On  her  left  is  a  seated  figure  of  her  northern  mer- 
chant, with  his  native  products  and  objects  of  com- 
merce near  him.  As  the.  representative  of  the  un- 
civilized races  of  his  continent,  the  negro  stands 
leaning  on  his  bow,  listening  to  the  teaching  of  a 
female  figure,  indicating  kindly  effort  to  improve 
the  race;  while  at  his  feet  the  broken  chains  show 
the  part  England  took  in  the  emancipation  of  the 
slaves. 

At  the  north-west,  as  it  should  be,  America 
mounts  the  pedestal.  The  group  consists  of  a  cen- 
tral figure,  America,  mounted  on  a  bison,  charging 


312          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

through  the  long  prairie-grass.  Their  advance  is 
directed  by  the  United  States  on  one  side,  while  on 
the  other  Canada  attends  them,  pressing  the  rose 
of  England  to  her  breast.  Other  figures  represent 
Mexico  rising  from  a  trance,  and  South  America 
equipped  for  the  chase.  A  detail  of  the  emblem  is 
as  follows:  The  figure  of  America  is  of  the  Indian 
type,  and  in  native  costume,  with  feathered  head- 
dress, while  the  housings  of  the  bison  are  a  grizzly 
bear's  skin.  In  her  right  hand  is  a  stone-pointed, 
feathered  lance,  with  Indian  "totems"  of  the  gray 
squirrel  and  humming-bird;  and  on  her  left  arm  she 
bears  a  shield,  with  blazons  of  the  principal  divis- 
ions of  the  hemisphere — the  eagle  for  the  States, 
the  beaver  for  Canada,  the  lone  star  for  Chili,  the 
volcanoes  for  Mexico,  the  alpaca  for  Peru,  and  the 
southern  cross  for  Brazil.  In  the  rear,  aroused  by 
the  passage  of  a  bison  through  the  grass,  is  a  rattle- 
snake. The  features  of  the  United  States  are  of  the 
North  American  Anglo-Saxon  civilized  type.  Her 
tresses  are  surmounted  by  an  eagle's  plume  and  by 
a  star,  which  is  repeated  on  her  baldric — a  richly- 
ornamented  belt — at  the  point  of  the  scepter  in  her 
right  hand,  and  on  the  bracelet  round  her  left  arm; 
in  her  left  hand  is  a  wreath  formed  by  the  leaves  of 
the  evergreen  oak.  At  her  foot  lies  the  Indian's 
quiver,  with  but  an  arrow  or  two  left  in  it.  Her 
dress  is  partly  thin  and  partly  of  a  thicker  texture, 
indicating  the  great  range  of  climate. 

Canada,  dressed  in  furs,  has  a  more  English  type; 
woven  into  her  head-dress  are  the  maple-leaf  of  the 
mainland  and  the  May-flower  of  Nova  Scotia.  In 
her  right  hand  are  ears  of  wheat;  at  her  feet  a  pair 
of  snow-shoes  and  the  cone  of  a  pine-tree.  Three 
distinct  types  of  womanhood  are  thus  represented 
by  the  artists.  Mexico  has  a  somewhat  Aztec  face, 
a  Mexican  head-dress,  staff,  feather  cincture,  and  the 
cochineal  cactus  at  his  feet.  He  seems  rising  from 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       313 

his  panther's  skin,  restless  and  disturbed,  yet  look- 
ing forward  with  hope. 

South  America  is  represented  by  a  half-breed 
t}^pe —  Indians  and  Spaniards  —  seated  on  a  rock, 
habited  in  a  sombrero,  poncho,  and  Indian  girdle;  in 
his  left  hand  the  short  horseman's  carbine  of  the 
country;  in  his  right,  a  lasso.  By  his  side  is  an  or- 
chid of  the  forests  of  Brazil,  and  at  his  feet  a  horn 
of  the  wild  cattle  of  the  plains,  and  also  a  blossom 
of  the  giant  lily  of  the  Amazon. 

In  comparing  this  American  group  with  the 
others,  one  can  hardly  fail  to  notice  that  it  is  quite 
unlike  the  others.  There  is  not  so  much  of  repose, 
but  more  of  an  onward  movement,  expressed  —  a 
kind  of  visible  unrest  quite  in  contrast  with  the 
other  more  tranquil  continents. 

I  could  not  more  briefly  describe  these  four  geo- 
graphical groups,  and  do  them  justice.  They  form 
a  very  interesting  study,  and  do  honor  to  the  four 
different  artists  who  designed  and  executed  them. 
Instructive  as  they  are,  they  form  only  a  small  part 
of  the  many  allegorical  statues  and  mosaics  intro- 
duced into  the  whole  monument;  whether  I  shall 
describe  the  others  will  depend  largely  on  your  in- 
terest in  what  you  have  now  read. 


H.  V.  I.,  March  2,  1874. 

In  my  last  letter  I  partly  described  the  Prince 
Albert  Memorial,  ending  with  an  account  of  the 
four  lower  groups,  representing  the  four  quarters  of 
the  world. 

Ascending  the  steps  to  the  podium,  we  find  four 
more  groups  of  statuary,  typifying  agriculture,  man- 
ufacture, commerce,  and  engineering.  The  first  oc- 
cupies the  south-west  corner,  having,  as  the  princi- 
pal figure,  Agriculture,  crowned  with  a  wreath  of 
corn,  and  directing  the  husbandmen  to  the  improve- 
14 


314          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

ments  in  farming  implements  caused  by  the  steam- 
engine  and  chemistry;  she  is  pointing  from  the 
primitive  plow  on  which  the  farmer  leans,  to  a  steam- 
cylinder  and  chemical  retort  lying  below.  Seated 
on  the  left  of  Agriculture  is  a  woman  having  her 
lap  full  of  corn  as  a  result  of  the  improved  means; 
on  the  right  is  a  shepherd-boy,  with  a  lamb  in  his 
arms  and  a  ewe  by  his  side,  suggesting  the  rearing 
and  breeding  of  cattle. 

At  the  south-east  angle  stands  the  second  group, 
having  the  genius  of  Manufactures  for  the  principal 
figure.  She  is  pointing  to  a  bee-hive  as  the  emblem 
of  industry,  while  an  hour-glass  indicates  the  value 
of  time  as  important  in  afl  manufacturing  opera- 
tions. Beside  her  is  a  smith,  indicating  the  im- 
portance of  the  iron  industries  to  the  country  in 
aiding  the  manufacturer.  On  the  other  side  is  the 
weaver,  and  in  front  the  potter,  exhibiting  their 
textile  and  fictile  manufactures. 

On  the  north-east  of  the  podium  is  the  allegorical 
group  of  Commerce.  The  chief  figure  holds^in  her 
left  hand  a  cornucopia  showing  the  result  of  com- 
mercial enterprise.  In  her  right  hand  she  holds  a 
balance — emblem  of  trade — and  also  a  purse  and 
ledger.  A  ground  figure  in  front  brings  corn — the 

freat  necessity  of  life  —  and  an  oriental  merchant 
as  a  casket  of  jewels,  indicating  objects  of  luxury 
imported  by  means  of  commerce. 

On  the  north-west  is  the  fourth  group.  The  ge- 
nius of  Engineering  stands  above  the  other  figures, 
resting  her  hand  on  a  steam-cylinder.  In  front  a 
youthful  figure,  with  compasses  in  hand,  is  noting 
a  design  spread  on  the  ground  before  him.  The 
great  agent  of  all  engineering  operations,  the  nav- 
vy, is  seated  on  one  side,  while  on  the  other  kneels 
one  holding  a  cog-wheel,  showing  that  engineering 
is  aided  by  machinery.  Back  of  the  group  is  a 
steam-hammer,  a  blast-furnace,  and  the  Britannia 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       315 

and  Menai  bridges  —  triumphs  of  the  engineering 
art. 

Above  the  podium,  on  four  large  pillars,  stands 
the  vaulted  memorial.  On  the  outer  side,  and  near 
the  base  of  the  pillars,  are  four  bronze  statues,  each 
about  eight  and  one-half  feet  in  height.  One  rep- 
resents Astronomy,  having  her  head  surrounded 
with  a  fillet  of  stars,  and  holding  in  her  hand  a 
globe — symbol  of  the  science  over  which  she  pre- 
sides. The  second  statue  is  Chemistr}7,  having  in 
her  hand  a  retort,  one  of  the  most  important  chem- 
ical instruments.  The  third  is  Geology,  with  ham- 
mer and  pick-ax  in  her  right  hand,  and  in  her  left 
the  earth  partly  excavated.  At  her  feet  are  various 
ores  and  the  remains  of  antediluvian  animals.  Ge- 
ometry stands  at  the  south-west,  holding  in  one 
hand  the  compasses,  and  in  the  other  a  tablet  in- 
scribed with  geometric  figures. 

Above  these,  in  the  four  niches  of  the  canopy,  are 
four  more  bronze  statues.  The  one  at  the  south- 
east is  Rhetoric,  with  head  bent  forward  as  if  read- 
ing a  speech  which  she  holds  in  her  hand.  In  the 
north-east  angle  of  the  canopy  is  Medicine,  holding 
a  cup  in  her  left  hand,  and  a  serpent  in  her  right — 
emblems  of  Hygeia,  the  daughter  of  Escnlapius. 
Philosopy  occupies  the  north-west  angle  of  the  can- 
opy, having  in  one  hand  an  open  book,  to  which 
she  points  with  the  other,  suggesting  the  develop- 
ment of  philosophy  by  means  of  literature.  The 
remaining  angle  of  the  canopy  is  occupied  by 
Physiology,  having  a  new-born  babe  on  her  left 
arm,  to  teach  the  highest  development  of  perfect 
physiological  forms.  Her  right  hand  points  to  a 
microscope  as  the  means  of  investigating  minute 
organisms. 

Above  these,  and  on  the  spire,  are  eight  bronze- 
gilt  statues — four  in  the  great  niches,  and  four  in 
the  angles  of  these  niches.  The  four  greater,  or 


316          A  MBMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Christian  virtues,  are — Faith,  with  her  chalice  and 
cross;  Hope,  with  upraised  look,  standing  beside 
her  anchor;  Charity,  a  crowned  figure,  uncovering 
her  bosom  with  her  right  hand,  and  in  her  left  hold- 
ing the  burning  heart;  and  Humility,  fully  draped, 
looking  down,  and  holding  in  her  right  hand  a 
lighted  taper.  The  four  lesser  or  moral  virtues  are 
Fortitude,  armed  with  a  shield  and  club;  Prudence, 
holding  the  serpent-emblem  of  wisdom;  Justice, 
holding  the  sword  and  scales;  Temperance,  with  a 
bridle  in  her  hands.  Immediately  above  these, 
with  drooping  heads,  are  four  angels,  in  attitudes 
suggesting  the  resignation  of  worldly  honors ;  while 
still  higher,  and  at  the  base  of  the  surmounting 
cross,  four  other  angels,  with  uplifted  heads  and 
hands,  indicate  aspirations  for  heavenly  glory. 

Underneath  the  vault  of  blue  mosaic  ground,  in- 
wrought with  his  armorial  bearings,  is  the  bronze 
statue  of  the  Prince  Consort,  for  whom  this  na- 
tional memorial  has  been  constructed.  He  is  repre- 
sented in  a  sitting  posture,  in  attitude  and  expres- 
sion embodying  rank,  character,  and  a  responsive 
intelligence,  showing  active  interest  in  every  thing 
indicated  by  the  surrounding  groups,  figures,  and 
relievos.  In  his  right  hand  is  a  catalogue  of  the 
works  collected  for  the  International  Exhibition  of 
1851.  The  dedicatory  inscription  is  in  mosaic,  the 
letters  of  blue  glass  with  black  edges  on  a  ground 
of  gold-enameled  glass:  " Queen  Victoria  and  her 
people  to  the  memory  of  Albert,  Prince  Consort,  as 
a  tribute  of  their  gratitude  for  a  life  devoted  to  the 
public  good." 

From  this  description,  thus  minutely  given,  and 
yet  containing  only  a  small  part  of  the  whole,  one 
can  easily  see  the  great  amount  of  study,  as  well  as 
work,  required  to  create  and  execute  this  remarka- 
ble memorial.  The  learning  of  all  ages  and  climes 
is  here  expressed  in  symbols  appreciated  by  every 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.        317 

visitor  in  proportion  to  his  knowledge.  The  whole 
becomes  what  artists  call  a  study,  and  reveals  the 
character  and  attainments  of  the  prince  so  honora- 
ble and  honored,  and  of  the  men  and  nation  de- 
signing and  constructing  it.  More  and  more  will  it 
become  the  honored  resort  of  the  learned  traveler. 
If  you  have  read  the  description  carefully,  you  -may 
have  noticed  that  not  a  soldier  or  warrior  or  great 
military  hero  has  any  mention  or  symbol  to  illus- 
trate his  usefulness  to  the  world.  The  peaceful  arts, 
the  moral  and  Christian  virtues,  all  aim  upward  and 
terminate  in  the  cross — a  significance  which  the 
race  would  see  realized. 


Letters  from  the  Eev.   T.  W.   Hooper,  of   Lyncliburg,  Va., 
written  for  the  News. 

LONDON,  August  11,  1873. 

Here  we  are,  once  more  in  this  great  metropolis, 
enjoying  again  the  pleasant  sound  of  our  mother- 
tongue,  and  somewhat  familiar  with  its  streets  and 
noted  places,  from  our  former  visit.  You  cannot  im- 
agine how  pleasant  it  is  to  us  all  to  get  out  of  the 
range  of  French  and  German,  and  understand  what 
is  spoken  at  the  depots  and  on  the  streets  by  those 
who  are  talking  to  each  other  or  to  us. 

"We  left  Brussels  Saturday  morning,  by  rail,  and 
spent  several  hours  very  pleasantly  at  Antwerp, 
waiting  for  the  steamer.  We  visited  the  cathedral, 
which  is  most  famous  for  containing  the .  finest 
paintings  of  Rubens.  We  saw  his  masterpiece,  The 
Descent  from  the  Cross,  and  another  not  much  in- 
ferior, in  my  judgment,  The  Elevation  on  the 
Cross.  Both  are  worthy  of  his  genius,  and  the  cit- 
izens of  Antwerp  are  proud  of  the  fact  that  such  a 
man  as  Rubens  was  born  there.  His  statue  in  the 
public  place  represents  him  as  one  of  the  finest- 
looking  men,  with  a  most  intellectual  brow.  At  4 


318          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

o'clock  P.M.  we  bade  adieu  to  the  continent,  on  the 
steamer  Pacific,  in  the  midst  of  a  fearful  thunder- 
storm, and  glided  down  the  Scheldt,  between  Bel- 
gium and  Holland,  watching  with  great  interest  the 
entrance  to  the  great  ship  canal  that  leads  up  to 
Rotterdam,  the  tremendous  sea-walls  along  the 
shore,  which  keep  back  the  water  from  the  lowland, 
with  its  sluices  for  drainage  at  low  tide,  and  its 
windmills  for  pumping  purposes,  where  the  land  is 
lower  than  the  tide,  and  at  about  dark  we  passed 
Flushing,  where  we  exchanged  pilots,  and  floated 
out  upon  the  waters  of  the  German  Ocean.  In 
the  meantime  the  storm  had  passed  away,  and,  much 
to  our  surprise  a'nd  gratification,  the  dreaded  ocean 
was  as  calm  as  a  Scotch  lake,  and  we  slept  as 
soundly  as  we  could  have  done  on  shore. 

This  evening  we  reached  Harwich,  where  we 
landed,  and  after  a  formal  examination  of  baggage, 
we  came  on  rapidly  by  the  cars  to  London.  On 
reaching  the  St.  Pancras  Hotel,  said  by  the  proprie- 
tors to  be  the  largest  in  the  world,  we  were  pleased 
to  be  so  cordially  greeted  by  the  second  and  third 
sections,  who  had  preceded  us  by  a  few  days.  It 
was  delightful  to  meet  with  these  friends,  from 
whom  we  had  parted  a  month  ago,  and  exchange 
views  as  to  the  different  places  we  had  all  seen  at 
different  times  and  under  different  circumstances. 
But  I  am  sure  that  all  of  us  are  more  than  delighted 
with  what  we  have  seen,  and  it  is  a  mystery  to  us 
all  how  Thos.  Cook  &  Son  could  show  us  so  much, 
in  such  a  time,  and  at  such  a  small  cost,  when  we 
compare  notes  with  other  travelers.  I  have  no  hes- 
itation now,  after  a  thorough  trial,  in  advising  all 
my  friends  who  propose  a  European  tour  hereafter 
to  purchase  Mr.  Cook's  coupons,  and  I  can  conceive 
of  nothing  more  pleasant  in  the  way  of  travel  than 
for  twenty  friends  to  form  a  party  under  his  personal 
superintendence,  or  conducted  by  one  of  his  own 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.        319 

conductors.  We  have  no  trouble  about  our  bag- 
gage, or  rooms  at  hotels,  or  payment  of  bills,  or 
securing  seats  (extra  cars  when  required).  We  have 
sometimes  found  our  trunks  in  our  rooms  on  our 
arrival  at  the  hotel,  and  our  rooms  are  always 
ready  to  receive  us,  and  the  meal  awaiting  us  when 
we  arrive. 

I  am  inclined  to  think,  too,  that  preference  has 
been  given  to  us  where  there  was  a  crowd,  and  I 
am  sure  that  the  Messrs.  Cook  and  our  conductor, 
Mr.  Tuttshell,  have  done  every  thing  that  lay  in 
their  power  for  our  pleasure  and  our  comfort. 

But  yesterday !  What  pen  can  describe  the 
pleasure  of  Protestant  worship  in  a  Christian  land, 
after  even  two  Sabbaths  on  the  Continent?  As  we 
expect  to  spend  a  week  or  ten  days  here,  we  had 
already  secured  rooms  (four  of  us)  at  Mr.  Cook's 
boarding-house,  just  opposite  the  British  Museum, 
so  we  moved  around  Saturday  evening.  It  may  be 
that  the  quiet,  home-like  place,  in  contrast  to  busy, 
bustling  hotels,  had  something  to  do  with  it;  but 
yesterday  was  a  calm,  beautiful,  sunny  day,  and  we 
certainly  made  the  most  of  it.  At  11  o'clock  A.M. 
we  mingled  with  the  6,500  worshipers  at  Mr.  Spur- 
geon's  'Tabernacle.  The  house  is  elliptical,  with 
the  pulpit,  or  stand,  in  one  focus,  and  a  double  gal- 
lery all  around.  Large  as  it  is,  I  thought  as  I  stood 
in  the  pulpit  that  my  voice  would  fill  it  as  easily  as 
it  does  my  own  church  at  home.  By  the  kindness 
of  a  member  we  had  a  seat  near  the  center  of  the 
main  auditorium,  Mr.  C.  having  secured  tickets 
for  the  whole  party.  A  little  ticket  also  secured  to 
us  admission  to  the  communion-table  in  the  lecture- 
room  below,  after  the  services,  and  for  the  first  time 
in  my  life  I  had  the  pleasure  of  eating  the  Lord's 
Supper  with  my  dear  brethren  of  the  Baptist 
Church.  I  remembered  those  at  home,  as  well  as 
the  dear  people  of  my  own  charge,  with  whom  I 


320          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

communed  the  Sunday  before  I  left  home,  and  with 
one  of  whom,  at  least,  I  shall  meet  no  more,  until 
I  meet  her  in  heaven. 

Mr.  Spurgeon  was  more  portly  than  I  expected  to 
find  him,  and  his  whiskers  gave  him  a  different 
appearance  from  the  picture  that  I  have  in  my 
study.  His  manner  is  plain,  simple,  earnest,  and 
at  times  impassioned.  His  voice  is  strong,  clear, 
well-modulated,  and  capable  of  almost  any  inflec- 
tion. He  preaches  to  his  vast  congregation  just  as 
we  common  men  talk  at  our  prayer- meetings. 
There  is  the  same  self-possession,  colloquial  sim- 
plicity, directness,  point,  and  homeliness ;  while 
now  and  then  come  the  flashes  of  genius,  and  all 
along  is  the  deep  earnestness  of  a  man  who  wants 
to  save  souls  and  to  comfort  believers.  He  is  bold 
in  the  statement  of  doctrine,  but  not  dry  ;  unquali- 
fied in  his  renunciation  of  error,  but  not  personal; 
candid  in  the  statement  of  his  own  trusts,  but  char- 
itable to  those  who  differ  from  him.  His  text  was 
from  Isaiah  lx.,  and  the  subject,  "  Praising  God  for 
his  loving  kindnesses."  After  the  Communion  we 
went  up  to  shake  hands,  and  found  him  a  really 
pleasant,  jovial,  warm-hearted  Christian  man,  glad 
to  see  everybody  from  America,  and  with  a  warm 
grasp  of  the  hand,  said:  "God  bless  you,  my 
brother,  and  take  you  all  back  home  in  safety." 

As  we  still  had  several  hours  before  us,  we 
strolled  on  down  across  the  Thames  at  London 
bridge,  up  through  by  the  monument  where  the 
great  fire  was  stayed,  through  Poultry  lane,  and 
other  places  familiar  to  every  reader  of  English  lit- 
erature, to  the  Cathedral  of  St.  Paul,  where  Canon 
Lyddon  was  to  preach  at  3:15  P.M.  We  entered  the 
grand  old  cathedral  along  with  an  immense  con- 
course, and  secured  chairs  in  the  middle  aisle  just 
under  the  dome,  and  not  far  from  the  pulpit,  which 
was  placed  against  one  of  the  central  columns.  To 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.        321 

the  music  of  a  splendid  organ  there  came  in  a  long 
procession  of  men  with  white  gowns  on,  who  turned 
out  to  be  the  choral  service  performers,  and  who 
chanted  the  whole  service  bodily,  including  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  two  or  three  times.  This,  I  must 
say,  I  did  not  think  in  good  taste,  not  to  mention 
the  absence  of  all  that  was  spiritually  beneficial  to 
the  people.  The  boys  sang  well,  but  the  old  man 
that  led  reminded  me  of  a  Hard-shell  Baptist 
preacher,  with  his  long,  whining  drawl.  I  wondered 
what  Brother  C.  would  think  of  such  a  performance 
in  another  St.  Paul's,  and  hope  the  day  will  never 
come  when  our  brethren  there  will  imagine  that  this 
is  the  way  to  worship  God  "  in  the  beauty  of  holi- 
ness." But  after  this  display  of  musical  praying, 
amid  the  burning  of  tapers,  we  had  a  splendid 
hymn  or  anthem — the  most  of  it  a  solo — and  then 
the  sermon.  It  must  be  a  miserable  place  to  preach 
in,  for  the  speaker's  voice  echoed  among  the  arches 
equal  to  an.  Alpine  horn;  but  he  had  preached  there 
before,  and  knows  how  to  control  it.  The  sermon 
was  based  on  the  lesson  of  the  day — "The  unjust 
steward" — and  was  a  splendid  specimen  of  highly- 
finished,  classic,  ornate  eloquence,  splendidly  deliv- 
ered, and  anywhere  else  and  to  any  other  audience 
would  have  produced  a  profound  impression.  But 
the  nobility  are  not  good  listeners,  and  the  cathe- 
dral, with  its  stillness,  is  inviting  for  a  drowsy  re- 
past, and  I  am  afraid  several  of  the  lords  and  ladies 
I  saw  were  not  wide  enough  awake  to  take  the 
solemn  admonitions  which  were  reenforced  by  the 
recent  sudden  deaths  of  the  Bishop  of  Winchester 
and  others,  to  whom  the  speaker  alluded. 

Last  night  we  started  too  late  for  the  whole  ser- 
vice, for  it  commences  at  half-past  six,  but  we  were 
directed  through  several  narrow  lanes  near  Covent 
Garden,  to  the  quaint  old  church  of  Dr.  Cummins. 
"We  found  him  preaching  in  his  old  Scotch  gown,  in 
14* 


822          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

a  little  inverted  wine-glass  of  a  pulpit  at  the  side 
of  the  church,  to,  not  a  large,  but  seemingly  a  very 
select  audience.  Indeed,  he  told  me  afterwards, 
when  I  met  him  in  the  "lecture  room,"  that  the 
most  of  his  people  were  in  the  country,  and  those 
were  strangers.  He  was  preaching  on  "  God  forbid 
that  I  should  glory,"  etc.  His  style,  too,  is  plain, 
simple,  colloquial,  and  his  sermon  very  suggestive 
and  rich  in  illustration. 

But  my  paper  is  out.  I  hope  to  hear  him  and 
Spurgeon  again  next  Sunday,  and  by  that  time  I 
shall  have  made  up  for  the  two  Sundays  I  lost  on 
the  Continent. 


Although  it  is  after  9  o'clock  P.M.,  and  after  such 
tramps  as  I  have  taken  I  ought  to  be  in  bed,  still, 
as  all  of  our  immediate  party  are  out  sight-seeing, 
and  I  am  weary,  I  have  concluded  to  write  what 
may  be  my  last  letter  to  you  on  this  famous  tour. 
The  fact  is,  on  such  a  trip  as  this  a  man  sees  so 
much,  and  he  becomes  so  weary  with  the  sight,  that 
it  is  almost  impossible  to  find  time  or  inclination  to 
write,  nor  does  he  know  what  to  write  about. 

What  interests  one  person  will  not  interest  an- 
other; and,  indeed,  in  our  party  of  four,  we  find  it 
more  pleasant  to  go  out  separately,  and  just  wander 
about  as  inclination  may  suggest.  But  as  far  as  I 
am  personally  concerned,  I  enjoy  wandering  along 
the  streets  and  looking  in  at  the  windows  about  as 
much  as  any  other  amusement.  The  retail  shops 
here  are  small,  and  sometimes,  I  think,  nearly  the 
whole  stock  will  be  displayed  in  the  windows.  I 
have  just  been  wandering  up  and  down  Tottenham 
Court  road,  as  it  is  called,  where  there  are  thou- 
sands of  people  promenading  in  the  brilliant  gas- 
light and  looking  in  at  the  brilliant  windows,  where 
are  displayed  all  kinds  of  articles,  from  a  "ha'penny 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.       323 

box  of  matches"  to  a  hundred-dollar  gold  watch, 
or  from  a  Scotch  herring  to  the  largest  salmon.  I 
have  spent  hours  in  this  way,  every  day,  with  great 
satisfaction.  But  of  course  we  have  not  confined 
ourselves  to  this  kind  of  amusement. 

On  Monday  night,  by  special  invitation,  we  were 
all  regaled  at  the  rooms  of  the  British  and  Foreign 
Sabbath-school  Union,  where  a  member  of  parlia- 
ment presided,  and  where  we  had  some  good  Sab- 
bath-school music  that  reminded  me  of  home, 
especially  the  song,  "Work  while  the  day,"  etc. 
We  also  had  some  good  speeches,  and  closed  with 
a  refreshment  of  ices,  cakes,  wines,  etc. 

Yesterday,  J.  T and  I  took  a  stroll  down 

Chancery  lane  to  Fleet  street,  Ludgate  hill,  King 
Williafci  street,  etc.,  until  we  came  to  London 
bridge.  Here  we  had  our  pictures  taken,  and  met 
with  some  very  pleasant  people  who  were  about  to 
sail  for  Norfolk  via  Allan  Line,  and  thence  to  At- 
lanta. They  were  very  inquisitive  about  our  coun- 
try, and  we  referred  them  to  our  friend  Major  Rob- 
ertson, as  there  was  a  young  lady  in  the  party.  We 
then  went  on  down  through  Billingsgate,  of  which 
you  have  heard  before.  As  the  market  was  almost 
closed,  it  was  too  late  for  much  "cussing;"  and 
amid  numerous  smells  we  went  on  through  the  old 
city  to  the  Tower.  Stopping  long  enough  to  visit 
the  Jewel-room,  where  we  saw  all  the  crowns,  scep- 
ters, etc.,  and  the  famous  Koh-i-noor  diamond,  we 
continued  our  walk  to  London  Dock.  Here  we 
found  vessels  from  all  .quarters  of  the  globe,  and 
stores  of  merchandise  (assafetida  included)  suffi- 
cient to  stock  a  large  city.  We  also  went  .into  the 
famous  port-wine  vault,  where  there  are  at  this  time 
twenty-two  thousand  casks  of  the  best  port.  We 
tasted  it,  of  course ;  and  from  its  effect  I  am  sure 
I  must  be  constitutionally  a  "Son  of  Temperance." 
We  then  walked  through  the  tunnel  under  the 


324          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

Thames,  and  crossing  at  London  bridge,  we  took 
a  "bus"  and  came  on  home  pretty  well  used  up. 

This  morning,  I  again  strolled  down  to  the  old 
city,  passing  Pudding  lane,  Threadneedle  street, 
Cheapside,  etc.,  all  of  which  are  familiar  names  to 
the  readers  of  English  literature,  went  by  Newgate 
Prison,  in  the  Old  Bailey,  and  down  to  the  office  of 
the  London  Times.  It  is,  as  I  expected,  a  little,  in- 
significant-looking place  in  Printers'  square,  and 
no  one  could  imagine  that  such  a  "thunderer" 
could  find  its  electricity  in  such  a  small  battery. 
However,  they  are  building  a  much  larger  edifice, 
and  \ve  must  excuse  them.  The  front  of  the  old 
building  is  very  much  like  the  first  page  of  the 
Times  itself,  even  to  the  frontispiece;  and  men  who 
wield  such  an  influence  can  afford  to  live  without 
any  attempt  at  display. 

I  then  visited  the  rooms  of  the  British  and  For- 
eign Bible  Society,  which  has  issued  the  Bible  in 
two  hundred  different  languages,  and  where  I  bought 
for  one  shilling  a  Bible  that  would  cost  with  us 
seventy-five  cents.  I  then  started  on  up  the  Thames 
to  the  Temple  Gardens.  Here  I  hired  an  escort  at 
sixpence,  who  conducted  me  to  the  Middle  and 
Inner  Temple,  where  I  sawT  the  great  dining-hall 
where  the  judges  and  barristers  have  a  dinner  four 
times  a  year,  during  term-time,  at  which  kings  are 
sometimes  present.  The  hall  itself  is  very  finely 
carved,  and  adorned  with  most  excellent  portraits 
of  the  most  distinguished  jurists  and  kings  who 
have  been  benchers  in  the  Temple. 

Winding  around  through  various  old  courts  and 
lanes,  we  entered  the  old  Knight  Templar  Chapel, 
where  Vaughan  is  now  the  chaplain,  saw  the  tombs 
of  some  of  the  most  distinguished  Crusaders  who 
were  buried  here,  and  then  went  to  the  grave  of 
Oliver  Goldsmith.  I  do  not  know  that  I  have  hud 
sadder  and  at  the  same  time  more  grateful  feelings 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  T.  W.  HOOPER.        325 

anywhere,  than  when  standing  over  the  dust  of  the 
author  of  "The  Vicar  of  Wakefield."  I  gathered 
a  few  leaves  of  ivy  and  picked  up  a  few  stones,  and 
then  looked  in  at  the  very  window  out  of  which  he 
for  the  last  time  looked  at  that  nature  which  he  so 
much  admired.  I  thought  of  Johnson  and  Garrick, 
and  Reynolds  and  Btorke,  until  memory  itself  was 
weary;  and  going  out  upon  the  Strand,  I  went  into 
the  former  palace  of  Henry  VIII.  and  Cardinal 
"Wolsey  (as  the  sign  asserts),  and  had  my  head 
shampooed  by  machinery.  "To  what  base  uses," 
etc.  That  is  one  difficulty  about  England,  in  con- 
trast with  other  countries  that  we  have  visited :  in 
Paris  every  memento  of  antiquity  seems  to  be  pre- 
served with  the  greatest  veneration  ;  but  here  they 
are  all  turned  to  some  practical  use,  or  else  pulled 
down,  to  give  way  for  some  modern  edifice.  I  sup- 
pose the  -difference  is  somewhat  due  to  the  differ- 
ence of  nationality;  and  while  the  glory  of  France 
is  in  the  past,  in  England  they  are  constantly  ad- 
vancing, and  hence  have  no  especial  use  for  these 
memorials  of  a  past  which  is  now  eclipsed  by  the 
living  present. 

Washington  Irving  describes  his  hunt  for  the  old 
Boar's  Head  Tavern  of  Dame  Quickly,  and  states 
that,  after  a  long  ramble  through  the  narrow  lanes 
of  the  old  city,  he  found  nothing  but  the  original 
"  boar's  heaoK"  and  this  was  built  into  the  wall  of  a 
modern  building. 

And  here,  in  my  case,  remember  I  have  taken  a 
bench  in  the  banqueting-room  of  Crosby  Hall,  have 
sipped  some  wine  at  a  house  where  Queen  Eliza- 
beth took  a  lunch  on  her  way  from  the  Tower,  and 
have  capped  the  climax  by  having  my  hair  sham- 
pooed in  the  original  palace  of  Henry  VIII.  and 
CardinalWolsey !  I  think  I  shall  get  a  "boots  "  to 
shine  my  gaiters  on  the  foundation  of  old  Black- 
friars,  and  then  close  my  visit  to  London  by  repeat- 


326          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

ing  Mark  Twain's  soliloquy  at  the  grave  of  Adam, 
if  I  can  find  where  old  Bishop  Hooper  was  buried, 
and  then  return  to  Scotland  and  America. 

I  hope  that  your  printers  may  do  better  in  the 
way  of  deciphering  my  manuscript  in  this  than  they 
did  in  my  first  three  letters  which  I  have  seen,  and 
that  soon  after  this  appears  I  shall  meet  you  "at 
home." 


Letters  from  the  Eev.  A.  B.  Whipple,  President  of  Lansing- 
burgh  College,  N.  Y. 

ON  BOARD  THE  VICTORIA,  August  29,  1873. 

Once  more,  kind  readers,  in  the  cabin  of  this 
good  ship,  I  take  the  pen  to  while  away  the  hours 
of  a  rainy  day.  Some  are  singing  "  Homeward 
Bound,"  and  some  "A  Life  on  the  Ocean  Wave," 
and  all  are  being  "  Rocked  in  the  Cradle  of  the 
Deep  " — a  sentiment,  by  the  way,  more  beautiful  in 
song  than  in  sensation,  and  more  than  sensational 
enough  for  those  whose  inner  life  heaves  responsive 
to  the  sea.  Some  are  playing  cards,  some  chess, 
some  checkers,  some  lie  reading,  some  are  writing, 
and  many  are  in  their  berths  longing  for  land.  We 
are  a  part  of  the  Educational  Party,  returning  to 
our  friends,  who  have  all  along  been  interested  in 
our  passage  and  welfare;  they  will  expect  some- 
thing, and  some  will  ask  this,  others  that.  "  What 
did  you  see  in  London?"  "  O,  ever  so  many 
things."  "  Well,  what?  Did  you  see  the  Crystal  Pal- 
ace?" "Certainly."  "Well,  tell  us  something  about 
it."  "  Will  you  have  it  in  mathematics,  geography, 
history,  manufactures,  or  the  fine  arts?"  "Just  as 
you  will."  Altogether,  then. 

Architecturally  the  palace  is  modern  English,  a 
style  unlike  any  thing  ancient,  made  so  by  necessity 
of  materials  used,  and  the  object  of  the  structure. 


LETTERS  FROM  EEV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       327 

The  materials  are  iron  and  glass;  the  object,  a  per- 
manent palace  of  art  and  education.  Above  the 
basement  floor  is  one  grand  central  nave,  two  side 
aisles,  two  main  galleries,  two  transepts,  and  two 
wings,  made  wholly  of  iron  and  glass,  save  a  little 
wood  paneling  on  the  west  front.  In  length  the 
main  building  is  1,508  feet,  each  wing  574,  and  a 
colonnade  from  the  railroad  station  of  720,  a  total 
of  3,476  feet,  or  nearly  three-fourths  of  a  mile  long, 
380  feet  wide,  and,  in  central  transept,  200  feet 
high,  covered  with  a  roof  of  glass.  The  iron  col- 
umns, if  placed  end  to  end,  would  reach  over  six- 
teen miles,  and  the  glass  would  cover  twenty-five 
acres,  and,  if  the  panes  were  laid  endwise,  would 
reach  242  miles  ;  add  30.000  superficial  feet  of  glass 
and  sixty  tons  of  iron  for  the  colonnade,  and  you 
have  the  materials  above  the  basement.  It  is  built 
on  a  side  hill,  leaving  the  lower  side  as  a  basement 
story,  fronting  the  gardens  ;  while  the  back  side  is 
tunneled  by  a  horizontal  brick  shaft  twenty-four 
feet  wide,  connected  with  the  railroad,  and  used  as 
a  roadway  to  take  into  the  palace  heavy  materials. 
Leading  out  of  this  tunnel  are  passages  for  the  fur- 
naces, boilers,  coal-bins,  engines,  and  the  heating 
apparatus,  whereby  the  enormous  area  of  the  pal- 
ace is  made  to  have  the  genial  heat  of  Madeira 
through  all  the  damp  English  winter — thus  tropical 
plants  have  a  living  home.  In  front  are  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  gardens  and  walks,  uniform  in  struc- 
ture with  the  palace ;  i.  £.,  the  width  of  the  walks, 
the  width  and  length  of  the  basins  of  the  fountains, 
the  length  of  the  terraces,  and  the  breadth  of  the 
steps,  are  all  multiples  or  subrnultiples  of  eight.  So 
you  will  see  that  mathematics  has  much  to  do  with 
the  artistic  harmony  of  palace  and  garden.  Though 
you  ask  me  to  describe  the  palace,  let  me  pause  a 
moment  on  the  broad  flight  of  steps  of  the  first 
turret,  and  glance  at  the  prospect.  Below  are  lower 


328  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

terraces,  bordered  by  stone  balustrades.  Along 
these,  at  intervals,  are  placed  statues,  and,  in  front, 
the  broad  central  walk,  doubly  lined  with  plant- 
trees.  On  the  next  terrace  the  green  turf  is  filled 
with  richly-tinted  flowers,  watered  by  fountains  jet- 
ting high  in  the  air.  Central  is  the  large  circular 
fountain,  surrounded  by  white  marble  classic  statues 
of  heroic  size.  On  the  left,  or  north,  stand  cedar 
trees;  below  are  the  water  temples,  with  rushing 
cataracts  on  either  side,  down  to  the  vast  basins  of 
the  great  fountains,  lying  like  lakes  in  the  green 
turf  beyond.  Right  and  left  are  pleasant,  sloping 
lawns,  dotted  here  and  therewith  trees  and  shades; 
and  far  away  in  the  distance  is  the  great  garden  of 
nature  herself,  in  rural  loveliness  unmatched  by  any 
skill  of  man.  From  all  this  out-of-door  beauty  let 
us  turn  and  enter  the  very  center  of  the  palace,  and, 
looking  around,  find  that  it  is  not,  like  the  Indus- 
trial Palace  of  Vienna,  a  place  for  the  exhibition  of 
modern  fabrics  and  modern  arts,  but  rather  what  a 
teacher  prefers,  a  progressive  view  of  civilization 
for  more  than  3,000  years,  as  shown  by  the  restored 
specimens  of  architecture,  sculpture,  and  mural 
decorations.  To  these  let  us  turn  our  attention, 
noting  at  the  outset  that  a  nation's  religion  has 
much  to  do  with  its  architecture  and  art.  Oldest 
here  is  the  Egyptian,  and  interesting  because  of  its 
connection  with  Bible  history,  as  well  as  the  perfect 
condition  of  the  remains.  We  find  here,  recon- 
structed, an  Egyptian  court,  giving  us  an  insight 
into  the  manner  of  life  thirty  centuries  ago.  We 
find  the  style  of  structure  simple,  gigantic,  and 
with  massive  solidity,  almost  entirely  of  stone. 
This  solidity,  suited  to  their  requirements,  seems  a 
permanent  feature,  because  their  religion  forbade 
any  change  in  the  representations  of  those  gods  and 
kings  so  frequently  carved  on  temples  and  tombs. 
In  the  restored  court  before  us,  we  have  the  outer 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.        329 

walls  and  colonnades  of  a-  temple  constructed  300 
years  B.C.,  during  the  Ptolemaic  period.  On  the 
walls  we  see  colored  sunk-reliefs  of  a  king  making 
offerings  or  receiving  gifts  from  the  gods ;  on  the 
capitals  of  the  columns  palm  and  locust  leaves, 
some  showing  the  papyrus  in  its  various  stages  of 
development,^  from  the  simple  bud  to  the  full-blown 
flower.  The  frieze  above  the  column  has  a  hiero- 
glyphic inscription,  which,  when  translated,  reads : 
"In  the  seventeenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Victoria, 
the  ruler  of  the  waves,  this  palace  was  erected  and 
furnished  with  a  thousand  statues,  a  thousand 
plants,  etc.,  like  as  a  book,  for  the  use  of  the  men 
of  all  countries."  On  the  outside  of  the  court,  on 
the  cornice,  is  engraved  in  character  the  names  of 
her  majesty  and  the  Prince  Consort,  while  within, 
on  lintels  and  sides,  are  engraved  the  different  titles 
of  King  Ptolemy;  and  the  decorations  of  the  inner 
walls,  in  coloring,  are  taken  from  actual  remains  in 
Egypt.  Here  we  see  a  large  picture  copied  from 
£he  great  temple  of  Rameses  III.,  near  Thebes.  It 
represents  the  counting  of  3,000  hands  of  warriors 
slain  in  battle.  On  the  left  we  see  eight  gigantic 
figures  of  Rameses  the  Great,  of  date  1300  B.C. 
Passing  on,  we  enter  a  dark  tomb,  copied  from  one 
at  Beni-Hassan.  This  is  the  oldest  architectural 
work  in  the  Crystal  Palace — 1660  B.C.  We  come 
out  to  find  ourselves  among  scattered  statues,  among 
which  we  see  two  circular-headed  stones,  copies  of 
the  celebrated  Rosetta  stone,  from  which  Dr.  Young 
and  Champollion  obtained  a  key  for  deciphering 
the  hieroglyphics.  The  stone  is  engraved  in  three 
characters — that  of  the  priests,  hieroglyphic ;  that 
of  the  people,  enchorial ;  and  the  last  in  Greek ;  the 
whole  is  an  address  to  Ptolemy  V.,  the  Greek  king 
of  Egypt,  setting  forth  his  praises.  All  this  repre- 
sents customs  200  B.C.  Farther  on  is  a  model  of  the 
Temple  of  Aboo  Simbel,  cut  in  the  side  of  a  rock  in 


330  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

j^ubia.  Immense  sitting  figures  represent  Rarneses 
the  Great;  and  smaller  ones  his  mother,  wife,  and 
daughter.  The  models  are  one-tenth  in  size  of  the 
original;  hence  the  columns  and  statues  were  forty- 
seven  and  sixty-two  feet  in  height.  Without  being 
more  minute,  one  can  learn  that  in  the  Crystal  Pal- 
ace we  can  go  to  Egypt  and  see  it  as  it  was  in  its 
best  days.  The  impression  made  on  our  minds  is 
favorable,  and  henceforth  Egypt  will  suggest  pleas- 
ant thoughts.  We  have  been  in  her  royal  palaces, 
and  seen  their  cheerful  surroundings.  Like  modern 
cities  full  of  art,  there  doubtless  was  much  of  igno- 
rance,, and  slavish  toil;  and  sun-burnt  brick,  fufl  of 
straw,  recall  the  labors  of  the  Israelites.  We  next 
enter  the  Greek  court,  to  find  that  architecture  and 
sculpture  have  greatl}-  advanced.  No  priestly  relig- 
ion fettered  its  progress,  and  so  we  pass  from 
shadow  into  sunshine.  A  religion  deifying  the  in- 
tellect of  man  stimulates  that  intellect  to  the  utmost, 
and  imagination  seeks  in  every  realm  the  highest 
type  of  beauty.  The  court  that  we  enter  is  of  th^ 
Doric  order,  taken  from  the  Temple  of  Jupiter,  at 
Nemea,  300  B.C.,  the  highest  period  of  Greek  art. 
We  enter  first  the  forum,  used  as  a  market  and  for 
political  assemblies,  and  see  around  the  frieze  the 
names  of  poets,  artists,  and  philosophers.  We  see 
Greek  monograms,  formed  of  the  initial  letters  of 
the  Muses,  Graces,  the  good,  and  the  wise.  We  be- 
hold walls  of  blue,  red,  and  yellow,  blazoned  with 
gold,  and  causing  a  beautiful  effect.  But  we  may 
not  describe  all  the  beautiful  works  of  art,  as  we 
should  need  a  full  knowledge  of  Greek  mythology 
and  a  whole  book  to  do  the  subject  justice.  Suffice 
it  to  say,  we  visited  Greece — the  Greece  of  ancient 
history — better  than  the  traveler  of  to-day.  In  like 
manner  we  enter  the  palace  of  ancient  Rome;  this, 
too,  after  we  had  been  among  its  ruins,  and  could 
the  better  appreciate  Rome  as  it  was  in  its  palmiest 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.        331 

days.  We  notice  one  thing  noteworthy — it  is  the 
use  of  the  arch  in  architecture,  a  feature  found 
susceptible  of  the  greatest  variety  of  treatment ; 
though  known  by  Greek  and  Assyrian,  it  seems  not  to 
have  been  much  used  till  by  the  Romans.  The  use 
of  the  arch  produced  a  marked  change  in  Roman 
buildings.  Leaving  the  Roman,  we  enter  the  Al- 
hambra,  or  Saracenic  court,  an  offshoot,  or  graft  of 
the  parent  stem,  wonderful  for  its  novelty,  and  ex- 
citing our  highest  admiration  by  rich  and  splendid 
decorations  within,  while  the  external  structure  is 
plain,  simple  masonry.  Moorish  architecture  is  rich 
with  arabesque  work  in  colored  stucco,  mosaic  pave- 
ments, marble  fountains,  and  sweet-smelling  flowers. 
The  Alhambra — the  red — was  of  the  thirteenth 
century,  the  scene  of  luxurious  pleasures,  and  of 
many  fearful  crimes.  The  portions  here  reproduced 
are  the  Court  of  Lyons,  Tribunal  of  Justice,  Hall 
of  the  Abencerrages,  and  the  Divan.  Outside  these 
courts  are  diaper-work,  consisting  of  inscriptions  in 
Arabic,  representations  of  bowers  and  of  flowing 
decorations,  over  which  the  eye  wanders,  pleased 
with  harmony  of  color  and  variety  of  ornament. 
The  Hall  of  the  Abencerrages  is  most  noteworthy, 
the  splendid  fringe  of  the  stalactite  roof  composed 
of  5,000  separate  pieces,  keyed  into  and  supporting 
each  other.  These  are  variously  colored  and  very 
beautiful.  Over  the  columns  in  the  Court  of  Lyons 
we  read  in  Cufic  characters,  "  And  there  is  no  Con- 
queror but  God."  Lingering  here,  however  long, 
we  discover  no  statue  or  paintings  of  bird  and  beast ; 
for  Moorish  religion  forbade  the  representations  of 
living  objects.  Despite  this  law,  the  Moorish  mind 
has  evoked  enough  artistic  skill  to  arrest  and  en- 
chain our  pleased  attention.  But  I  may  not  prolong 
these  descriptions,  for  I  should  have  to  take  you 
through  the  Romanesque,  the  Byzantine,  the  Me- 
diaeval, English,  French,  German,  and  Italian  varie- 


332          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

ties,  together  with  the  Renaissance  and  Elizabethan 
styles,  thus  giving  the  world's  progressive  archi- 
tecture.. I  spent  the  day  alone  amid  all  these;  yet 
they  are  only  part  of  the  studies  of  this  wonder- 
ful palace  of  art  and  education,  costing  already 
$7,500,000,  and  still  to  be  increased.  There  are  in- 
dustrial compartments  of  cutlery,  porcelain,  paper, 
etc.;  collections  of  pictures,  photographs,  and  casts 
of  medallions;  illustrations  of  mechanics  and  man- 
ufactures; botany;  ethnology,  or  illustrations  of 
national  characteristics,  including  our  own  Ameri- 
can Indians;  palaeontology,  or  extinct  animals;  ge- 
ology; hydraulics,  as  seen  in  the  fountains;  musical 
facilities  of  an  unprecedented  kind;  also,  a  Tech- 
nological Museum,  with  collections  of  home,  colo- 
nial, and  foreign  products;  and  finally,  the  Marine 
Aquarium,  three  hundred  feet  long  and  fifty  wide, 
with  many  thousands  of  sea  creatures,  vertebrate 
^and  invertebrate,  in  thirty-eight  tanks,  requiring 
one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  gallons  of  sea-water. 
Crabs,  lobsters,  star-fish,  anemones,  corals,  in  all 
their  beauty  of  coloring,  radiation,  and  motion, 
catch  the  eye  and  stay  the  footsteps  of  the  many 
thousand  visitors  who  gaze  into  the  clear  and  quiet 
waters,  and  thus  behold  the  wonders  of  the  deep 
sea,  on  whose  heaving  surface  we  are  tossing  home- 
ward. 


LANSINGBURGH,  March  — ,  1874. 

MY  DEAR  DOCTOR: — You  ask  of  me — "the  quiet 
man  " — for  some  thoughts  not  yet  in  print.  Stored 
away  in  my  note-book  I  find  little  seed-thoughts, 
labeled  "odds  and  oddities."  I  send  you  a  few  at 
random;  may  others  do  likewise! 

Under  July  9th  I  find  in  my  book  the  word  "Pa- 
cific." It  has  its  lesson.  That  day  we  (the  Italian 
party)  left  London  for  Harwich;  thence,  on  the 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       333 

"Pacific,"  across  the  German  Ocean;  a  good  sup- 
per before  we  started.  On  deck  your  "quiet  man" 
took  to  reading  his  Italian  volume,  with  its  double 
alphabet  of  pages.  Such  a  school-book  you  never 
saw.  At  first  it  seemed  all  !!!;  soon  these  changed 
to  ???;  next  „,  followed  by  ;;;  then  :::,  and  finally 
came  a  full .  The  fly-leaves  indicated  a  threatening 
calm.  The  full  moon  was  watching  us.  Gently 
then  began  to  play  the  mirthful  waves  of  the  Ger- 
man sea.  Some  of  our  quiet  teachers  could  keep 
silence  no  longer.  They  seemed  to  have  caught  the 
intonations  of  the  German  language,  and  made  some 
matter-of-fact  ejaculations,  directed  rather  to  dol- 
phins than  deities.  I  think  there  was  as  much  solid- 
ity of  utterance  as  is  often  expressed  by  "school- 
masters abroad."  The  "poetry  of  motion"  seemed 
exhaustive,  while  the  tones  sank  lower  and  lower, 
till  in  the  "ingentes  cavernas  navis"  they  died  away 
in  moanings  and  groanings,  to  the  music  of  which 
your  quiet  man  "paced  along  the  deck  upon  the 
giddy  footing  of  the  hatches." 

Under  Friday  the  llth  —  unlucky  day — I  wrote 
"Penny  for  a  chair."  We  had  been  doing  Brussels 
all  day;  and,  just  as  the  sun  was  setting,  a  fellow- 
traveler  and  myself,  walking  along  the  Boulevard 
de  Waterloo,  espied  a  couple  of  chairs.  We  thought 
fortune  favored  us,  as  we  seated  ourselves.  Pres- 
ently a  little  German  boy  appeared  before  us  with  a 
paper.  ISTot  being  able  to  read,  we  shook  our  heads, 
and  said  "Nein."  He  stuck  by  like  a  good  boy,  as 
no  doubt  he  was,  till  we  had  said  ".nein"  at  least 
ninety-nine  times,  when  he  disappeared,  and  soon 
reappeared  with  about  three  hundred  pounds  of 
mother,  red  in  the  face  and  arms,  the  hands  of 
which  were  entreatingly  extended  toward  us.  She 
talked  away  impatiently,  as  I  should  judge  from  her 
appearance  and  the  appearance  of  a  crowd  at  the 
same  time  about  us,  a  couple  of  foreigners.  She 


334          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

did  not  seem  to  understand  our  "neins"  any  better 
than  we  did  her  "kreutzers."  We  seemed  to  be 
very  attractive  —  to  the  crowd.  A  new  thought 
seemed  to  be  born  just  then ;  for,  darting  across  the 
street,  she  shook  her  fist  in  the  face  of  a  man  who 
wore  a  sword,  and  then  pointed  at  us.  He  imme- 
diately surrounded  us,  and  talked  beautifully  —  I 
presume — though  we  did  not  know  a  word.  We 
were  getting  rested,  and  enjoyed  the  sights  and 
sounds.  Indeed,  we  did  not  know  till  then  how 
much  we  were  thought  of.  Growing  calmer  as  the 
army  was  preparing  for  a  coup  de  something,  we 
bribed  the  frau  with  two  cents  to  open  a  way  of  re- 
treat, and,  escaping  to  our  hotel,  pondered  long  on 
the  fashions  around,  especially  that  of  leaving 
chairs  in  the  streets  to  entrap  the  wandering  school- 
teacher. 

Under  July  13th  I  find  "Pendulum  Pumps"— to 
the  traveler  in  Cologne  suggesting  a  curious  way  by 
which  the  tall  pumps  are  made  to  discharge  water. 
The  word  itself  explains  the  manner.  Where  so 
much  beer  and  wine  are  used,  hydrants  are  numer- 
ous, and  human  ones  in  public  places  are  far  from 
being  infrequent.  On  our  way  to  the  grand  old  ca- 
thedral, these  water-works  often  seemed  a  bar  to 
our  farther  progress,  till  some  encouraging  D.D. 
would  strengthen  the  wavering  footsteps  of  the  eru- 
bescent creature  beside  him  with  the  remark,  "  In 
this  country  we  must  walk  by  faith,  and  not  by 
sight,"  and  so  the  Americans  "move  on." 

Friday,  18 — another  unlucky  day — has  the  word 
"Brandy,"  We  —  friend  Tift  and  myself — had 
looked  down  upon  Vienna  from  the  lofty  dome  of 
the  Exposition  building,  and  wandered  among  its 
inside  wonders,  and  by  mistake  had  wandered  into 
a  strange  part  of  the  city  instead  of  our  own  hotel, 
and  we  could  not  make  ourselves  understood,  and 
so  left  the  ^horse-cars.  We  sought  instruction  in 


LETTERS  FROM  REV.  A.  B.  WHIPPLE.       335 

saloons;  no  one  spoke  English  or  French.  Despair- 
ing as  night  drew  on,  we  tried  again.  I  tried  my 
French:  "Parlez-votis  Francais?  "  "Owi,  Monsieur  " 
11  Quest  r  Hotel  de  Ville?"  She  smiled,  called  a  little 
boy,  who  at  her  command  disappeared  for  a  mo- 
ment, and  then  came  smiling  toward  us  with  a 
server,  on  which  were  two  small  glasses  of  brandy. 
What  could  two  good  temperance  men  do?  We 
looked  at  the  woman,  the  boy,  the  brandy;  thought 
what  we  could,  and  departed,  leaving  the  "dame" 
and  "garcon"  greatly  astonished;  and  I  seem  to 
hear  her  say,  "What  did  they  come  in  here  for,  if 
not  to  drink?"  Sure  enough,  how  could  they  get 
"Hotel  de  Ville"  out  of  my  "eau  de  vie"  ?  I  stopped 
talking  French  to  Austrians. 

Saturday,  19  —  "Paid  for."  Again  we  had  roamed 
through  the  Industrial  Palace,  seen  the  goods  and 
the  emperor.  We  were  tired,  and  wanted  to  be  re- 
lieved; were  ready  to  be  relieved  of  something 
more  than  blood  and  money.  By  searching,  we 
found  what  the  Italians  call  a  "Retireta,"  and  the 
French  a  "Palace  d'  Alsace."  In  a  central  place  WQ 
found  it  —  a  beautiful  architectural  design,  concealed 
and  well  watered.  We  enter,  to  find  a  comfortable 
room,  with  a  table,  and  two  not  over-beautiful  Aus- 
trian ladies  seated  thereat.  They  rise  to  receive  us, 
and  do  us  personal  favors,  inquiring  our  necessities, 
even  to  the  utmost,  and  for  a  sixpence  allow  us  to 
depart,  greatly  relieved  and  amused  at  Austrian  cus- 
toms. They  gave  us  their  cards,  which  you  may 
translate  at  your  leisure  : 


Comr- 

Die  Cassierin  ist  verpfliehtet,  nur  gegen  Uebergabe  dieses 
kQ  Billets  den  hierauf  bezeichneten  Betrag  in  Empfang  zu  nehmen. 
H  Es  wird  hoflichst  ersueht,  dieses  Billet,  nachdem  es  von  der 
CO  im  Innern  aufgestellten  Con  trolls-Person  cou  rit  ist,  bis  zum 
j>  Austritt  aus  der  Toilette  behufs  weiterer  Controlle  aufzube- 
wahren.  6 

Droud  von  T.  B.  Ballishauffer. 


336  A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

July  30.  Rome — "Extras."  In  the  matter  of  eat- 
ing we  have  had  but  little  to  say.  Breakfast  at  eight, 
and  dinner  at  six,  with  ten  intermediate  hours  for  di- 
gestion, gave  us  generally  a  good  appetite,  and,  per- 
haps, the  wonder  of  the  waiters.  We  also  wondered 
at  some  of  their  ways.  Almost  the  first  thing  they 
would  ask  us  at  table  was  this:  "What  is  your 
number?"  Every  thing  is  charged  to  the  number 
of  the  room  we  occupy;  hence,  sometimes  good 
temperance  men  find  extras  for  wine,  etc.,  which 
they  have  not  had — a  plan  by  which  some  one  has 
imbibed  at  another's  expense.  Such  a  plan  was  tried 
on  us  at  Lucerne;  but  we  would  not  pay  the  bill. 
Well,  on  the  morning  of  our  departure  from  Rome, 
we  had  the  usual  continental  biscuit  and  one  piece 
of  meat.  Friend  Tift  sat  at  my  right;  he  had 
taken  his  allowance.  "Number,  sir?  "  inquired  the 
waiter.  "Number  one,"  answered  the  hungry  man. 
Having  a  good  appetite,  he  called  for  another  piece 
of  meat.  Waiter  brought  it,  saying,  "Extra,  sir; 
number,  sir?"  "Number  two!  Extra,  is  it?  Glad 
of  it."  Soon  No.  2  was  buried  with  its  prede- 
cessor, and  he  called  for  more.  "Extra,"  said  the 
waiter.  "Glad  of  it;  bring  it  on,  then;  hurry  up!" 
said  the  excited  man.  Soon  it  came,  with  the 
usual  question,  "Number,  sit?"  "Number  three!" 
growled  the  still  busy  eater.  While  admiring  friends 
were  on  the  watch,  meat  No.  3,  morsel  by  morsel, 
sank  to  rise  no  more,  and  "  Waiter!  "  rang  out  clear 
and  authoritatively.  He  came.  "More  meat!  I 
want  one  square  meal  before  leaving  this  eternal 
city."  "Extra,  sir."  "I  know  it,  sir;  so  bring  it 
on/'  "Number,  sir?"  "Number  FOUR!"  thun- 
dered our  hero,  as  the  astonished  waiter  departed. 
Soon  he  returned,  saying,  "Last  piece,  sir."  Amid 
his  admirers  sat  our  man  of  muscle,  unperturbed, 
and  with  an  inflexible  determination  "to  have  one 
square  meal,  extra  or  no  extra."  He  had  "seen 


FROM  LONDON  TO  EDINBURGH.  337 

every  thing  in  Rome  he  wished,  except  meat — 
enough  for  once."  While  we  all  gloried  in  his  zeal, 
he  bravely  attacked  his  last  extra.  One  enthusiastic 
admirer  of  his  maxillary  power,  shouted,  "Bully 
for  you  !  "  as  he  redeposited  upon  his  plate  a  morsel 
that  had  already  been  in  his  mouth ;  and,  looking 
sadly  at  the  last  speaker,  replied,  "  Altogether  too 
much  so."  He  was  satisfied.  "  Now  let  us  leave 
Rome  in  peace,"  he  said.  For  all  this  extra  enter- 
tainment, our  friend  of  the  Buffalo  Dairy  paid,  over 
and  above  his  regular  bill,  in  gold,  $150,  while  our 
extraordinary  enjoyment  cost  us  many — a  laugh  at 
his  expense.  To  this  day  there  are  some  fifty  living 
witnesses  who  would  like  to  see  the  man  who  once 
had  enough,  at  Rome. 


Homeward  bound — From  London  to  Edinburgh — Interesting 
sights  in  the  Scottish  capital — Castle  Kock — Burns's  grave — 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots — Dr.  Chalmers — Bunyan. 

STEAMSHIP  VICTORIA,  August  30,  1873. 
Omitting,  for  the  present,  several  places  visited 
in  London,  I  will  sketch  our  route  from  that  city  to 
Edinburgh,  Scotland.  We  left  the  Midland  Grand 
Hotel  early  on  Thursday  morning.  This  depot, 
being  the  largest  in  the  world,  is  connected  with 
the  hotel  claiming  the  same  relation.  The  span  of 
the  shed  is  243  feet  from  wall  to  wall,  length  700, 
height  100,  length  of  roof  690  feet,  with  a  span 
covering  four  platforms  and  eleven  lines  of  rails, 
and  occupying  a  site  of  nearly  ten  acres.  Highgate 
stands  450  feet  higher  than  St.  Paul's  Cathedral. 
We  pass  a  picturesque  village,  in  which  Lord 
Bacon  lived  in  1226.  The  Bishops  of  London  re- 
sided there  in  succession.  Hendon  is  the  highest 
point  within  ten  miles  of  London.  Lord  Byron 
and  the  late  Robert  Peel  were  scholars  here.  Near 
this  is  St.  Alban's,  at  the  foot  of  which  flows  the 
15 


338          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

river  Bev.  It  was  remarkable  as  the  scene  of  bat- 
tles in  the  time  of  Julius  Cesar,  and  subsequent 
periods  of  history.  Also,  the  place  of  the  first  re- 
corded English  martyrdom,  in  the  third  century, 
when  St.  Abenus  was  beheaded  by  pagans.  Por- 
tions of  the  old  Roman  walls  of  St.  Alban's  still 
exist.  Tutan  and  Bourne  are  near  each  other.  At 
the  former  Bunyan  preached ;  at  the  latter  Dr.  Wm. 
Dodd  was  born  in  1729.  Bedford  is  the  place  where 
Bunyan  preached  for  seventeen  years,  when  he  was 
imprisoned,  and  where  he  wrote  the  "Pilgrim's 
Progress." 

We  now  enter  the  manufacturing  district.  At 
Derby  the  first  silk-mill  was  erected  in  1718. 

Sheffield  is  the  place  famous  for  cutlery,  and  the 
manufacturing  of  all  kinds  of  iron  and  steel  goods, 
plated  ware,  and  metallic  instruments.  It  was  here 
cast  steel  was  first  wrought.  It  was,  indeed,  "grand, 
gloomy,  and  peculiar,"  to  see  the  hundreds  of  chim- 
neys of  immense  height,  belching  forth  flames  and 
smoke,  darkening  the  whole  country  round,  and  the 
roar  of  the  engines  driving  the  machinery  and 
forges  of  these  establishments. 

From  these  we  pass  onto  the  linen  manufactures. 
Their  "bleaching  fields"  resembled  snow-covered 
grounds.  Here  also,  are  wire  and  needle  manufac- 
tories. One  can  have  but  little  idea  of  the  extent 
of  these  manufactories  without  seeing  them.  Just 
think  that  there  are  three  hundred  and  fifty  trains 
of  passengers,  goods,  and  minerals  arrive  and  depart 
in  twenty-four  hours.  This  will  give  a  better  idea 
of  the  extent  of  the  business  done  in  this  vicinity. 
It  was  in  this  vicinity — Huntingdon — that  Oliver 
Cromwell  was  born,  April  25, 1699,  and  was  baptized 
four  days  afterward,  as  appears  from  the  parish  reg- 
ister. The  house  is  now  called  the  Cromwell 
House. 

Miss  Nightingale. — Lea  Hurst,  the  home  of  Miss 


ON  THE  ROAD.  339 

Nightingale,  is  in  this  vicinity.  This  was  her  father's 
residence  and  estate.  She  was  born  in  Florence  in 
1820  ;  hence  her  name,  Florence  Nightingale.  She 
went  to  the  Crimea  with  a  staff  of  voluntary  nurses 
at  the  time  of  the  war.  In  honor  of  her  noble  con- 
duct, a  testimonial  fund  was  raised  of  $250,000  by 
the  people  of  England,  and,  at  her  request,  the 
money  was  donated  to  a  hospital  for  training  nurses. 

Here  at  Crawford  was  the  first  cotton-mill,  built 
in  1771,  by  Richard  Arkwright,  the  inventor  of  the 
"spinning-jenny."  The  old  frame  is  still  preserved 
in  the  present  mill  as  a  curiosity.  The  invention 
was  followed  by  various  improvements  for  which  an 
enlarged  patent  was  obtained  in  1775. 

This  was  one  of  the  most  important  inventions 
ever  made.  Only  one  hundred  years  !  What  won- 
ders have  been  effected  by  it !  Cotton,  though  not 
a  crowned  monarch,  governs  a  large  portion  of  the 
civilized  world.  Much  of  England's  greatness  has 
been  produced  by  its  extensive  manufacture.  Most 
of  the  material  prosperity  of  our  own  sunny  South 
land  has  been  from  its  production,  and  here  its  man- 
ufacture first  commenced.  No  wonder  we  looked 
at  this  place  with  much  interest. 

The  country  from  London,  for  near  two  hundred 
miles,  is  rich,  and  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  It 
then  becomes  more  undulating,  and  more  sparsely 
settled.  We  see  some  fine  old  castles,  on  which  are 
windmills,  performing  a  different  kind  of  a  service 
than  was  originally  designed  by  their  founders. 
Though  we  travel  four  hundred  miles,  we  see  no 
soldiers — nothing  warlike — only  a  few  cannon  at  one 
of  the  foundries.  The  railway  officials  are  the  only 
uniformed  gentry  we  find  here.  Our  train  runs 
from  fifty  to  sixty  miles  an  hour.  Two  large  saloon- 
carriages  are  assigned  to  our  party — only  fourteen 
now — on  which  Mr.  Thos.  Cook  has  a  fine  lunch 
served  to  us.  In  the  evening  we  reach  the  High- 


340          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE.- 

lands  of  Scotland,  around  which  cluster  so  much 
historic  interest,  with  which  your  readers  are 
familiar. 

We  arrive  at  Edinburgh  on  time,  and  we  soon 
domicile  at  a  good  hotel,  kept  by  a  genuine  old 
Scotchman.  Early  in  the  morning  we  start  out  to 
see  this  venerable  old  city.  I  notice  every  house  of 
every  kind  is  built  of  stone.  The  door  and  window- 
frames  are  stone.  The  city  consists  mainly  of 
heights,  hollows,  acclivities,  and  ravines,  in  much 
diversity  of  character.  It  is  a  gem  of  a  landscape, 
exquisitely  beautiful.  Castle  Eock  surveys  one  of 
the  most  gorgeous  panoramic  views  in  the  world. 
It  is  a  rugged  mass  of  green  stone,  about  seven  hun- 
dred yards  in  circumference,  and  breaks  down  on 
three  sides  of  the  castle's  ramparts — north,  west, 
and  south — in  faces  of  bare  rock,  all  precipitous.  It 
is  the  most  interesting  natural  object  in  the  city. 
A  garrison  of  soldiers  keep  the  castle.  An  old 
State  prison  surmounts  the  archway,  which  has  kept 
many  illustrious  captives.  The  armory  is  capable  of 
storing  30,000  stands  of  arms.  The  old  Parliament 
Hall  (80  by  33  feet)  occupies  the  south  side  of  the 
palace  yard.  This  was  long  the  residence  of  the 
kings  and  queens  of  Scotland.  From  this  castle 
you  have  a  most  magnificent  view  of  the  city  and 
its  surroundings.  In  front  of  it  stands  Scott's  mon- 
ument, erected  in  1840-44.  It  is  200  feet  high,  and 
contains  a  marble  statue  of  Sir  Walter  Scott,  which 
cost  $10,000,  and  was  inaugurated  in  1846.  Here 
is  where  the  great  reformer,  John  Knox,  lived  and 
labored,  and  where  his  remains  rest.  His  house  is 
resorted  to  as  one  of  the  most  interesting  objects  of 
antiquity,  of  which  there  are  many.  This  is  the 
great  center  of  Scotch  Presbyterianism.  From 
all  I  can  learn,  they  are  doing  more  than  any  other 
Protestant  Church  in  the  missions.  We  took  the 
street-car,  and  went  to  see  their  docks  and  shipping. 


EDINBURGH — DR.  CHALMERS,  ETC.  341 

These  were  more  extensive  than  I  had  supposed. 
We  then  took  another  car  through  the  principal 
streets  and  around  the  city. 

Edinburgh. — It  is,  perhaps,  the  most  substantially 
built  of  any  city  we  have  visited.  Its  population,  in- 
cluding the  suburbs,  is  about  200,000.  Nearly  all 
the  people  you  see  here  have  a  similar  Scotch  appear- 
ance. I  have  never  seen  any  place  where  there  was 
such  a  marked  family  likeness.  Their  Scotch 
brogue  seems  to  be  universal.  They  are  pictures  of 
fine  health,  with  vim  and  activity  in  their  move- 
ments. They  are  the  most  universally  educated 
people  (Germany,  perhaps,  excepted)  that  we  have 
seen  on  our  tour.  There  are  many  things  of  interest 
in  this  city.  Nelson's  monument,  on  Calton  Hill, 
andBurns's  monument,  Regent  Road,  commemorate 
two  men  who  moved  in  very  different  spheres,  both 
honored  by  this  people.  Here,  too,  the  immortal 
Rev.  Dr.  Chalmers  labored,  and  here  his  mortal  re- 
mains sleep,  while  his  noble  moral  heroism  lives  in 
the  hearts  of  his  countrymen.  Here  Mary  Queen  of 
Scots  figured  during  her  eventful  life,  yet  her  body 
sleeps  beside  her  sister,  Queen  Elizabeth,  whose 
jealousy  caused  her  to  be  beheaded  in  the  Tower  of 
London.  When  our  guide  showed  us  the  two  sis- 
ters, sleeping  side  by  side  in  Westminster  Abbey,  I 
remarked  to  him  that  they  were  more  friendly  in 
death  than  they  had  been  in  their  lives.  Such  is  the 
fate  of  womankind,  as  well  as  mankind,  in  high 
places.  But  I  will  not  moralize. 

The  steward  moves  us  all  from  the  table  to  pre- 
pare for  dinner.  So  I  will  close  this  disconnected 
scrawl,  written  while  the  ship  is  being  tossed  by  the 
rolling  waves,  and  most  of  the  passengers  are  suf- 
fering from  sea-sickness. 


342          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

The  rolling  deep — Leaving  Glasgow,  the  prosperous  city  on  the 
Clyde — The  pleasures  and  misfortunes  of  a  life  of  ten  days 
on  the  ocean  wave. 

STEAMSHIP  VICTORIA,  September  1,  1873. 

I  closed  ray  last  letter  rather  abruptly.  I  was 
writing  relative  to  Edinburgh.  While  it  is  a  fine 
old  city,  abounding  in  historic  interest,  it  looks  to 
me  as  though  it  has  attained  its  growth.  There 
seemed  to  be  but  little  business  being  done,  only  in 
a  small  portion  of  it.  I  observed  several  streets, 
with  magnificent  buildings,  with  but  few  persons  to 
be  seen  on  them.  Glasgow,  I  suppose,  has  taken  a 
large  portion  of  the  business  formerly  done  here. 
The  country  between  those  two  cities  is  very  fine, 
and  made  to  yield  all  that  it  can  by  the  high  cul- 
tivation it  receives. 

Glasgow  is  the  second  city  of  the  United  King- 
dom. Its  population,  in  the  city  proper,  is  only 
about  four  hundred  thousand;  but,  with  what  prop- 
erly belongs  to  it — with  streets  extending  as  one 
continuous  city — it  has  nearly  a  million.  The 
Scotch  characteristics  are  not  seen  here,  as  in  other 
parts  of  this  country,  and  especially  in  the  city  we 
had  just  left.  It  looks  more  like  New  York  than 
any  place  we  have  seen.  It  owes  its  rapid  increase 
to  its  ship-building.  It  was  here  that  the  first  steam- 
vessel  was  built  on  this  side  of  the  Atlantic.  It  is 
now  the  most  important  place  for  building  steam- 
ships in  the  world.  It  is  said  that  there  are  more 
steam-ships  built  here  than  in  all  the  world  besides. 
We  saw  a  vast  number  of  them  in  process  of  build- 
ing, on  the  stocks.  The  Kiver  Clyde  is  a  very  small 
aftair;  but  they  have  deepened  its  channel  until 
vessels  of  the  largest  class  can  come  up  to  its  docks. 
Here  may  be  seen  representatives  from  almost  every 
nation  among  trade's  rough  sons. 

Glasgow  has  its  great  thoroughfare  more  dis- 
tinctly marked,  perhaps,  than  any  city  we  have  seen. 


LEAVING  GLASGOW.  343 

Along  that  not  only  run  its  'buses,  but  a  number  of 
street-railways,  running  out  to  every  part  of  the  city, 
concentrate  here.  Here  we  see,  as  in  Broadway, 
New  York  (only  more  so),  the  dense  crowds  of  hu- 
manity passing  each  other  in  every  direction.  The 
streets  intersect  this  great  thoroughfare  at  right  an- 
gles, so  that  a  stranger  is  soon  able  to  understand 
them,  which  is  a  very  uncommon  thing  in  European 
cities.  This  is  more  like  an  American  city  in  sev- 
eral respects  than  any  other  we  have  visited.  "We 
went  out  at  night  to  see  the  vast  crowds  that  pass 
along  this,  their  Broadway.  A  large  amount  of 
business  is  done  after  night  in  their  stores  and  shops. 
Returning  to  our  hotel,  we  happened  to  pass  their 
fish-market.  There  we  met  with  a  larger  number 
of  the  lower  class  of  humanity  than  we  have  ever 
seen  together  at  one  time.  It  extended  between  a 
quarter  and  half  a  mile.  The  street  was  filled  with 
women,  a  large  portion  of  whom  were  bare-footed, 
coarsely  clad,  and  seemed  to  be  of  the  very  lowest 
order  of  womankind. 

Saturday  morning  the  scattered  fragments  of  our 
party  met  at  the  steamer.  At  noon  our  noble  ship 
is  loosed,  and  slowly  moves  down  the  Clyde,  passing 
the  docks,  where  many  vessels  were  delivering  and 
receiving  their  cargoes.  On  both  sides,  for  miles, 
we  see  ships  in  various  stages  of  progress  toward 
completion.  The  hills  rise  in  picturesque  beauty 
on  both  sides.  We  keep  on  deck  to  see  the  last  of 
Scotland  as  it  fades  in  the  distant  horizon  from  our 
view. 

Sunday  morning  finds  us  at  Moville,  on  the  coast  of 
Ireland.  Here  we  met  the  last  of  our  party,  who  had 
come  through  from  London  to  see  Ireland.  Here, 
also,  we  add  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  the  list 
of  steerage  passengers.  1  was  very  much  interested, 
here  and  at  Glasgow,  in  the  parting  of  these  people 
from  their  friends,  from  whom  they  were  separating, 


£44          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

perhaps,  forever.  It  was,  indeed,  very  affecting  to 
see  and  hear  how  they  gave  vent  to  their  feelings — 
many  waving  their  handkerchiefs  and  expressing  in 
various  ways  their  interest  in  their  friends,  while 
others,  unable  to  restrain  their  grief,  poured  forth 
lamentations  that  brought  tears  from  those  who 
were  observing  the  affecting  scene. 

We  are  now  fairly  out  from  terra  firma,  with  our 
bow  toward  the  setting  sun.  The  beautiful  hills  of 
the  Emerald  Isle  loom  up  for  miles  as  we  pass  along 
the  Irish  coast.  We  gaze  with  intense  interest  upon 
this  land,  which  has  furnished  so  many  noble  hearts 
and  strong  arms  to  develop  the  vast  resources  of 
our  native  America. 

We  also  take  on  board  two  Irish  ministers,  going 
over  to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  Evangelical  Al- 
liance, which  meets  in  New  York  the  2d  proximo. 
Dr.  Thompson,  of  New  York,  preached  in  the  fore- 
noon, and  Dr.  Gregory  in  the  evening.  We  have 
prayers  every  night  in  the  dining-saloon,  and  grace, 
or  rather  a  short  prayer,  at  each  meal.  The  petition 
offered  for  "appetites  to  enjoy  the  food  before  us," 
no  doubt,  met  with  a  hearty  response  from  most  of 
the  passengers  who  were  able  to  fill  their  seats  at 
the  table. 

We  have  had  near  a  week  of  bad  weather,  just 
the  reverse  of  what  we  had  when  we  went  over  in 
June.  The  sea  has  been  rough  most  of  the  time — 
no  very  high  waves,  but  enough  to  stir  the  stomachs 
of  most  of  the  passengers.  Some  of  them  were  not 
out  of  their  rooms  for  nearly  a  week,  while  some  of 
those  who  were  promptly  at  their  meals  had  to  cast 
them  into  the  ocean  soon  after. 

Many  years  since  I  was  very  anxious  to  be  sea- 
sick, believing  it  would  be  conducive  to  my  health. 
I  have  several  times  seen  most  of  the  persons  on 
board  sick,  while  I  had  not  the  least  symptom  of  it. 
I  think,  now,  that  the  virtue  of  sea-sickness  is  more 


THE  HOMEWARD  VOYAGE.  345 

in  the  fasting  than  any  salutary  influence  it  has  upon 
the  system.  My  curiosity  and  anxiety  on  this  sub- 
ject have  been  fully  satisfied. 

While  this  is  one  of  the  finest  and  swiftest  ships 
of  the  Anchor  Line,  or  any  other  line,  they  have 
studied  the  most  rigid  economy  in  their  rooms.  At 
least,  we  have  found  it  so  in  the  one  that  has  been 
assigned  to  four  ministers.  The  Revs.  Mr.  Baker, 
Mr.  Richardson,  and  Mr.  Witherspoon,  of  Virginia, 
and  one  from  Boston,  were  given  a  room  less  than 
eight  feet  square.  As  I  am  in  the  berth  which  was 
to  have  been  occupied  by  my  old  friend,  Wither- 
spoon, I  can  speak  more  of  that  than  any  other.  To 
get  into  it  you  must  stretch  yourself  out  on  the  rail- 
ing, and  roll  in.  On  arriving  at  your  destination, 
you  find  a  tolerably  close  fit  all  around,  your  head 
reaching  very  near  the  bottom  of  the  apartment  or 
bin  just  above  you,  which  is  just  the  same  size. 
There  is,  however,  one  advantage  in  these  close 
quarters.  When  the  ship  rolls  we  have  but  little 
room  for  this  unpleasant  exercise.  These  Presby- 
terian brethren  think  it  rather  strange  that  a  "  Scot- 
tish line,"  from  the  land  of  Presbyterianism,  should 
put  them  in  such  a  room,  especially  as  they  have 
first-class  tickets,  and  their  passage  had  been  en- 
gaged for  nearly  three  months.  At  their  request  I 
mention  these  facts.  Our  Irish  Presbyterian  breth- 
ren have  the  room  next  us,  which,  I  presume,  is  of 
the  same  dimensions.  The  room  we  had  on  the 
Canada,  coming  over,  was  one-third  larger,  with  a 
number  of  conveniences  which  we  have  not  here. 
Two  more  nights  will  terminate  our  occupancy  of 
quarters,  and  when  we  cross  the  ocean  again  we 
will  know  more  of  the  place  we  are  to  occupy  be- 
fore leaving  port. 

We  see  several  vessels  to-day.  One  came  near 
crossing  our  track.  She  had  been  out  from  England 
thirty-six  days.  We  see  some  whales,  and  many 
15* 


346          A  MEMPIIIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

porpoises  tossing  themselves  about.  Our  sick  pas- 
sengers are  nearly  all  well,  and  are  making  up  for 
lost  time  at  the  table. 

Our  ministers  preached  in  the  morning  and  even- 
ing yesterday.  We  have  a  missionary  from  Turkey, 
who  has  spent  several  years  there.  He  has  given  us 
favo  very  interesting  talks  about  that  country.  This 
snip  is  steered  by  steam,  so  that  the  labor  of  the 
pilot  is  very  trifling.  They  raise  the  sails,  as  well  as 
load  and  unload  the  ship,  by  steam. 

The  most  interesting  thing  is  a  little  machine 
fastened  to  a  long  rope,  and  thrown  out  into  the 
ocean.  As  the  ship  moves,  the  machine  turns  over, 
so  that  it  tells  correctly  the  distance  the  ship  has 
sailed  every  day.  This  is  a  veiy  ingenious  and  im- 
portant invention;  for  a  ship's  navigation  is  now 
done  with  as  much  precision  as  if  you  saw  just  the 
place  to  which  you  were  going.  Science  has  enabled 
the  seaman  to  strike  out  from  one  port  to  the  other 
in  a  direct  line.  After  the  "sliip  is  out  at  sea,  they 
go  direct  to  their  destination.  We  are  making  good 
time,  and  will  be  the  first  of  the  eight  ships  that 
sailed  on  the  day  we  did  to  reach  JSTew  York.  We 
learn  the  Olympic,  which  left  three  days  before  this 
ship,  is  only  about  twenty  hours  in  advance  of  us. 
We  have  a  gentlemanly  and  careful  captain  and  offi- 
cers, and  as  clever  a  set  of  cabin  passengers  as  could 
be  desired. 

September  2,  1873. 

A  pilot-boat  is  seen  in  the  distance,  and  as  no  sig- 
nal is  given  that  we  have  one  engaged,  it  steers  for 
our  ship.  We  had  several  hundred  passengers  on 
board  who  had  never  seen  a  native  American  at 
home.  These  crowded  around  to  see  him  come  on 
board.  He  has  some  New  York  papers,  which  are 
eagerly  devoured  by  those  who  had  known  nothing 
of  the  outer  world  for  ten  days. 


HOME  ONCE  MORE.  347 

In  the  evenin^we  see  along  in  the  dim,  distant 
horizon  some  hills  on  Long  Island.  Such  rejoicing 
I  have  never  or  rarely  seen  among  so  many  persons. 
After  prayer  and  thanksgiving  for  our  safe  and 
speedy  passage,  there  was  a  very  interesting  speak- 
ing meeting  held  in  the  dining-saloon.  The  Irish 
ministers,  being  called  on,  gave  some  very  interest- 
ing facts  in  regard  to  their  country.  The  emigrants 
on  board  were  mostly  Scotch-Irish,  and  many  of 
them  were  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 

The  condition  of  Ireland  has  been  greatly  im- 
proved within  a  few  years.  In  1841  the  population 
was  over  eight  millions.  Now  it  is  less  than  six  mil- 
lions. So  said  the  preacher  in  his  speech.  I  thought 
to  myself  that  all  the  countries  of  Europe  might  be 
greatly  improved  if  a  large  portion  of  their  people 
would  seek  homes  on  this  American  soil. 

One  of  our  party  said  he  had  heard  it  said  several 
times  that  America  needed  whipping  worse  than 
any  people  in  the  world.  He  heard  the  same  thing 
said  the  other  day  in  Paris,  where  there  were  several 
nationalities  represented.  One  said  that,  as  the 
world  could  not  whip  the  Americans,  they  had  con- 
cluded to  whip  each  other,  and  had  thus  demon- 
strated the  fact,  now  acknowledged  by  other  nations, 
that  we  cannot  be  whipped  by  the  world. 

The  silvery  queen  of  night  gives  a  most  lovely 
view  to  the  rippling  waves  of  the  dashing  blue  sea. 
We  are  all  out  on  deck,  watching  with  deepest  in- 
terest as  we  pass  around  Sandy  Hook.  Away  in  the 
distant  west  are  seen  the  lights  from  Long  Branch. 
The  noble  ship,  without  erring  from  a  direct  line, 
has  run  its  three  thousand  five  hundred  miles  in  less 
than  ten  days ;  and  we  are  safely  moored  at  quaran- 
tine, some  eight  miles  from  the  city,  at  11  P.M.,  to 
wait  for  the  health-officer  to  pass  us  into  port,  while 
we  retire  for  the  last  time  to  our  narrow  quarters 
below. 


34:8          A  MSMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

In  the  morning,  after  the  health-officer  permits, 
we  steam  up  to  Gotham.  The  examination  of  bag- 
gage by  the  United  States  officers  is  much  more  strict 
than  any  we  had  in  Europe.  I  believe,  however, 
they  passed  free  of  duty  nearly  all  our  party  except 
those  who  had  silk.  The  friends  of  the  tourists  met 
them  gladly,  thanking  us  for  the  attention  given  to 
their  lady  friends  on  the  tour. 

I  cannot  close  these  sketches  without  bearing  my 
testimony  to  the  complete  fulfillment  of  the  agree- 
ment by  Messrs.  Cook,  Son  &  Jenkins.  Those  of 
us  wjio  went  on  the  Canada  were  met  at  Liverpool 
by  their  agent,  Mr.  Anderson,  who  took  charge  of 
us  and  our  baggage,  and  gave  us  every  attention  re- 
quired on  our  way  to  London.  Mr.  Plagge,  our  con- 
ductor of  the  Italian  section,  discharged  his  duty 
faithfully,  and  relieved  us  of  many  annoyances 
necessarily  attending  those  who  take  such  tours 
without  having  some  one  who  understands  the  lan- 

fuages  of  the  different  countries.  Every  thing  was 
rst-class — railroads,  steam-boats,  hotels — all  ready 
at  the  right  time  to  accommodate  us  in  the  best 
style  of  the  country.  I  voluntarily  and  most  cheer- 
fully recommend  all  who  visit  Europe  to  go  under 
the  direction  of  Messrs.  Cook,  Son  &  Jenkins,  261 
Broadway,  New  York. 

I  take  pleasure  in  copying  and  indorsing  the  fol- 
lowing, from  the  Rev.  C.  W.  Gushing: 

"The  entire  expense  of  this  trip  was  five  hundred 
dollars  in  gold.  This  included  first-class  traveling 
by  railway  and  steam-boat  throughout  the  entire 
journey ;  omnibuses,  where  necessary,  from  stations 
to  hotels ;  porterage  and  transportation  of  baggage ; 
gondolas  and  guide  in  Venice ;  carriages,  and  other 
expenses,  such  as  admission-fees,  etc.,  while  under 
the  direction  of  Mr.  "Wood  in  Rome.  In  Great 
Britain,  hotel  provision  included  room,  lights,  and 


A  EETROSPECTIVE  VIEW.  349 

service,  meat-breakfast,  dinner  at  table  d'hote,  and 
plain  tea.  On  the  Continent  it  was  the  same,  except 
that  the  breakfast  was  a  plain  breakfast  of  tea,  coffee, 
or  chocolate,  and  bread-and-butter,  with  the  addi- 
tion of  honey  in  Switzerland,  dinner  at  table  d'hote, 
and  additional  coupons  to  the  amount  of  one  franc 
and  a  half  per  day,  which  could  be  used  for  a  plain 
tea,  or  for  a  meat- breakfast. 

"  The  hotels  selected  were  intended  to  be  first- 
class,  and  were  good,  though  not  always  the  most 
stylish  and  expensive  in  the  place.  This  was  par- 
ticularly true  in  Paris,  while  in  London  the  whole 
party  was  kept  at  the  best  hotel  in  Europe. 

"  Our  conductor,  who  was  a  well-educated  Ger- 
man, and  who  met  us  in  New  York,  and  returned 
there  with  us,  as  a  rule  took  the  entire  charge  of 
our  tickets,  luggage,  etc.  Our  hotels  were  engaged 
days  in  advance,  so  that  our  rooms  were  assigned  us 
before  we  reached  the  hotel,  or  immediately  after, 
thus  saving  all  annoyance  from  that  source.  Car- 
riages were  always  awaiting  when  we  reached  a 
station,  so  that  there  was  no  delay.  Then  our  con- 
ductor was  familiar  with  every  place  we  visited,  and 
knew  what  was  of  most  interest  to  see,  so  that  no 
time  was  wasted  in  experimenting.  So  far  as  was 
practicable,  the  Messrs.  Cook  had  anticipated  all 
our  wants,  and  provided  for  them.  Our  money  was 
deposited  with  them,  and  we  were  allowed  to  draw 
upon  our  conductor  as  we  wanted  it  for  purchases 
or  other  purposes,  always  receiving  it  in  the  cur- 
rency of  the  country  in  which  we  happened  to  be. 

"Many  of  the  party  made  more  purchases  than 
they  had  anticipated.  Mr.  Cook  had  told  us,  before 
we  left  London,  that  it  would  probably  be  so,  and 
that  we  might  draw  on  him  for  whatever  we  might 
want,  and  remit  it  when  we  returned  home.  This 
was  done  by  many  of  the  party,  in  some  instances 
to  the  amount  of  several  hundred  dollars. 


350          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

"And  now,  looking  back  upon  this  most  delight- 
ful and  profitable  trip,  the  memory  of  which  is 
worth  many  times  its  cost,  it  is  my  impression  that, 
for  a  party  of  six  or  more  who  want  to  make  the 
most  of  their  time  and  money,  such  an  arrangement 
is  a  saving  of  considerable  expense,  an  indefinite 
amount  of  annoyance,  and  at  least  about  one-third 
of  the  time.  If  one  has  plenty  of  money  and  plenty 
of  time — which  only  very  few  have — he  may  possi- 
bly suit  himself  better,  though  this  maybe  doubted. 
The  name  of  Mr.  Thomas  Cook  is  like  a  household 
word  all  through  Europe,  and  will  often  secure  for  a 
man  what  he  would  be  unable  to  get  without  it.  lie 
is  a  noble  old  Christian  gentleman,  and  worthy  of 
the  respect  and  confidence  he  has;  and  his  sons  are 
in-  a  fair  way  to  make  his  place  good.  There  are  not 
enough  of  these  Cooks  yet  to  spoil  the  broth." 


OUR  TOUR.  351 


OUR   TOUR. 

BY  A  MEMBER  OP  THE  EDUCATIONAL  PARTY  OF  1873. 


THE  last  farewells  are  sadly  said,  each  lingering  clasp  of  hand 
Is  loosed,  and  we  have  turned  our  backs  upon  our  native  land. 
Afloat  upon  the  watery  waste,  her  fluttering  canvas  spread, 
With  tossing,  white-capp'd  waves  beneath,  and  blue  sky  overhead, 
Our  noble  ship  moves  proudly  on ;  we  tread  her  decks  in  glee, 
And  revel  in  the  joyous  thought  that  we  are  out  at  sea. 
To  watch  the  dolphins  at  their  play,  or  scan  the  passing  sail, 
Or  rush  with  one  accord  when  some  one  shouts,  "A  whale!" 
To  walk  and  talk,  to  read  or  write,  to  hear  the  sailors  sing, 
Or  mark  the  airy,  graceful  flight  of  sea-birds  on  the  wing; 
To  look  for  phosphorus  at  night;  the  ever-changing  play 
Of  ocean  in  his  many  moods,  is  new  from  day  to  day. 
But  now,  these  days,  so  long,  so  short,  so  full  of  charm,  are  o'er, 
And  in  the  soft  gray  light  of  morn  we  see  a  foreign  shore. 
"We  test  fair  Erin's  generous  heart,  upon  her  emerald  strand, 
The  first,  with  hearty  greeting,  to  welcome  us  to  land. 
We've  looked  on  Scotland's  misty  hills,  and  castles  old  and  gray, 
And  lakes,  of  fame  in  many  lands,  Lochs  Katrine  and  Achray; 
Through  Trosachs'  wild,  romantic  glens  of  heather  and  of  fern; 
From  Stirling's  battlements  look  out  on  Teith  and  Bannockburn. 
"Fair  Melrose,"  and  its  ruined  walls,  with  ivy  overgrown, 
Where  names  and  dates  of  long  ago  survive  upon  its  stone, 
While  they  who  builded  sleep  below,  with  all  their  hopes  and  fears; 
Their  sculptured  work  has  braved  the  storms  of  twice  three  hun- 
dred years. 

With  loving  hearts  we  seek  the  spot  where  trod  the  noble  bard, 
Whose  genius  lives  and  breathes  and  moves  in  lovely  Abbotsford. 
From  Calton  Hill  and  Holyrood  we  wander  up  and  down 
Among  the  old  historic  scenes  of  "Edinboro'  town." 
And  England's  summer  sun  has  beamed  with  welcome  as  we  stood 
Mid  gardens  rare,  and  fountains  grand,  and  gently-rolling  wood, 
Where  Alton's  generous  Lord  shall  win  a  more  enduring  name 
Than  they  who  tread  the  battle-field  for- empire  or  for  fame. 
We  stand  within  her  crowded  mart;  we  traverse  street  by  street; 
Amid  the  things  of  olden  times  we  go  with  busy  feet — 
The  Tower,  St.  Paul's,  and  Westminster,  where  lie,  enthroned  in 

state, 
The  monarchs  of  the  world  of  mind  beside  the  earthly  great. 


352          A  MEMPHIAN'S  TRIP  TO  EUROPE. 

"We  view  them  all  with  sated  eyes;  and  when  we  next  advance, 
It  is  among  the  sunny  slopes  and  vine-clad  hills  of  France. 
Among  her  ruined  palaces,  her  splendid  works  of  art, 
Where  kings  and  emperors,  by  turns,  have  borne  their  fitful  part. 
We  leave  her  glittering  scenes  to  tread  the  henceforth  hallowed 

ground 
Where   England  and  America  with  white  -winged  peace   were 

crowned; 

While  far,  yet  near,  an  emblem  meet,  robed  in  eternal  white  — 
Mont  Blanc,  in  hoary  majesty  —  looked  down  upon  the  sight. 
Our  eyes  beheld  the  glory  of  the  Brunig  and  the  Thun, 
Where  hazy,  cloud-girt,  snow-capp'd  peaks  seem  stretching  to  the 

sun. 

We  slowly  climb  the  mountain-road,  then  thunder  down  its  side; 
We  sail  upon  the  dark-green  lake,  with  softly-rippling  tide; 
We  look  from  lofty  Alpine  heights  on  beauteous  valleys  green, 
Where  Swiss  chalets,  and  harvest  fields,  and  gentle-winding  stream, 
Have  landscapes  made  so  fair  to  see,  that  years  of  change  and  care 
May  not  efface  from  memory's  page  the  pictures  painted  there. 
We've  gazed  on  Jungfrau's  lovely  head,  where  shadows  come  and  go, 
As  sunlight  breaks  or  fades  upon  her  crown  of  purest  snow. 
A  peep  at  Lauterbrunnen's  Fall  we  have  from  wayside  ridge, 
Because  our  guide,  with  wearied  brain,*  slept  at  the  turning  bridge. 
But  mountain  glacier  tempts  us  on,  mid  summits  grim  and  bald, 
Where  lies,  upon  the  lofty  plain,  long-looked-for  Grindelwald. 
Fair  Griesbach,  in  her  highland  nest,  has  welcomed  one  and  all 
To  pure,  sweet  air,  and  native  woods,  and  gorgeous  waterfall. 
Again,  upon  the  placid  lake,  our  eyes  we  fondly  turn 
To  where  the  sunset  bathes  in  gold  the  beautiful  Lucerne. 
On  Rigi's  bold  and  rugged  top  with  reverend  feet  we've  trod, 
And  felt  that  in  His  glorious  works  we  nearer  drew  to  GOD. 
We  watched  the  sunset's  fading  glow,  and  in  the  early  morn 
Our  slumbering  ears  are  sweetly  waked  by  winding  Alpine  horn. 
O  glorious  Alps  and  lovely  lakes!  ye  pain  our  happy  band; 
For  sadly  we  shall  bid  farewell  to  thee,  fair  Switzerland. 
And  though  we  have  before  us  still  Vienna  and  the  Rhine, 
Their  tempting  shapes  and  loveliest  hues  shall  not  outrival  thine. 
But  when  we  leave  these  foreign  scenes  to  seek  each  distant  home, 
We'll  give  three  cheers,  with  hearty  will,  for  Thomas  Cook  &  Son! 
LUCERNE,  July  22,  1873. 


*The  design  was  to  have  gone  direct  to  Grindelwald,  omitting 
non;  but  the  conductor  was  taking  "  forty  winks  "  at  the  junction  of  tin-  roads, 
and  the  driver  had  the  party  near  to  Lauterbrunnen  before  th<>  mistake  was 
discovered. 


THE    END. 


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